Radcliffe
A locational surname meaning “red cliff,” originally used for people from places called Radcliffe or Ratcliffe.
The #5,812 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,907 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Radcliffe comes from Old English roots meaning “red” and “cliff,” literally “red cliff.” It was first applied as a place-name, and then as a surname for people who came from such a place. Historical spellings vary widely, including Ratcliffe and Radclyffe, but they point to the same basic meaning.
History
The name is strongly associated with Lancashire, especially the Radcliffe area near Bury, and it appears in medieval records in forms such as Radeclive. Later bearers often took their surname from this place, and the family became established enough to produce a well-known gentry line. The spelling Radcliffe is now standard, though Ratcliffe and Radclyffe remain familiar variants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One medieval Latin form of the name was de Rubra Clivo, which literally means “from the red cliff.”
From the historical record
“RADCLIFF ] (Eng.) Bel. to RadcUffe, Rad- RADCLIFFE klive = the Red Cliff [O.E. RADCLWeFE ) rie)dd + clif: W.Sax. charter dat. form ' t6 reddanclife ^ This name was Latinized de Rubra Clivo. RadcUffe, Lanes, is Radeclive in Domes- day-Book. The " cliff of red rock " is on the south-eastern side of the River Irwell.…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)