Yelgovan is a village in the Iravan uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Ellar (Kotayk, Abovyan) district, and currently in the Kotayk province. The provincial centre is located 40 km to the southwest of the town of Akhta (Hrazdan) and at a height of 1,450 m above sea level. It was noted in “The Iravan Province Comprehensive Data Book” and marked on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

Until 1828 the village had been inhabited only by Azerbaijanis. In 1829 the Armenians from the Bayazid province of Türkiye were removed and settled in the village. The village was inhabited by 15 Azerbaijanis in 1897. The Azerbaijanis were ousted by Armenian militants in 1905–1906.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the herbal name “yelgovan” meaning “a herb or its seed which has been spread by wind” in Azerbaijani. It is a phytotoponym.

According to the law “On the Administrative-Territorial Division of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative territory of the Kotayk province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude 40°16’ N., longitude 44°39’ E.