Surname Cunliff - Meaning and Origin
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Cunliff: What does the surname Cunliff mean?
The last name Cunliff is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is a habitational surname derived from either Cunliffe near Otley, West Yorkshire, England or Cunliffe near Whalley, Lancashire, England.
The earliest written record of the Cunliff name dates back to 1440 in the Battyeforde Court Rolls of Yorkshire. In this record, the name appears in the form of “Robert de Cunliff”.
The meaning of Cunliff is “hill dwelling” or “hill side village”. The topographical term, “lif”, which means “a ridge” or “a slope”, is thought to be found in the surname. The first part of the name could be derived from either the Old English “cun”, which means “hill”, or the Old Norse “kollr”, which means “round”.
The variant spellings for Cunliff include Conley, Cundliffe, and Conliff. The Cunliffs have had a long history and spread to other countries during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Today, Cunliff is seen as a rarity with only about 0.004% of the US population having the Cunliff surname. However, in some small places, the Cunliffs are still flourishing and can be found in places like the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia.
Order DNA origin analysisCunliff: Where does the name Cunliff come from?
The last name Cunliff is most commonly found in areas of the United Kingdom and North America, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Family historians believe that the name Cunliff is derived from the Old English spelling of the name Conliffe, which means “from the hill.”
The earliest known records of the Cunliff (or Conliffe) family are from the lands around Loweswater, Cumberland, in the United Kingdom. The earliest known ancestor to bear the name Cunliff was a man named Robert, who lived in the village of Loweswater in the 15th century. From there, the Cunliff family spread throughout the surrounding areas.
A large number of the Cunliff family can be found in the United Kingdom today, particularly in Scotland. Census data suggests that most members of the Cunliff family are concentrated in Scotland and Northern England. This is likely because of the prominent number of Scottish immigrants during the 19th century, when the family name began to spread throughout the world.
The Cunliff family also has a distinct presence in North America today, and there are records of numerous Cunliff families in the United States and Canada. The largest concentrations of the Cunliff family can be found in the states of New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The Cunliff family can also be found in Australia and New Zealand, as many Cunliff family members immigrated to the country during the same period in which the family spread to North America.
Variations of the surname Cunliff
The surname Cunliff is derived from the Old Norse personal name “Kon”, which is a combination of the Norse words “kona”, meaning “mate” or “companion” and “ulf”, meaning “wolf”. The surname is thought to have been brought to England by Viking settlers, hence its prevalence in the North of England. It is also common in Scotland and Ireland, and can be found in other countries across Europe.
Variants of the name Cunliff include Cunblance, Cunliffe, Conliffe, Conliff, Conerous, Conleff, Conley, Conly, Connell, Connelly, Connely, Connoly, Conwell, Coundle, Kuenle, Kunel, Kunlee, and Kunley.
Surnames of the same origin as Cunliff include Connally, Conner, Connell, Connolly, and Conroy.
Cunliff is also a well-known spelling in the United States. In the U.S., spelling variations include Cunleff, Conley, Conly, Conners, Connerly, and Conning.
The surname Cunliff is uncommon but has a long history. Its variants and spellings are plentiful, and it is easy to trace its origin. Despite being rarely found in genealogical records, Cunliff is still a popular family name and found all over the world.
Famous people with the name Cunliff
- Jack Cunliffe: English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League One side Salford City.
- Java Cunliffe: Australian entrepreneur, investor and successful music executive who is a leading figure in the local music scene.
- Marc Cunliffe: English film producer, production designer, and costume designer. He was nominated multiple times for an Academy Award for production design and costume design.
- Craig Cunliffe: Scottish football player who made his senior debut for Rochdale in 2011. He is currently the manager at the Newcastle United Youth Academy and was recently appointed the Director of Youth at Burton Albion.
- Robert Cunliffe: British classical composer, conductor, and author who composed music for the London stage.
- Neville Cunliffe: British World War I fighter ace who achieved twenty-three aerial victories in the Royal Flying Corps.
- Mark Cunliffe: Scientist and professor at the University of Manchester who is an expert in the field of vacation science.
- Trevor Cunliffe: Award-winning chef from the Lake District, and the founder of the award-winning Cumbrian food business, The Honeysuckle Kitchen.
- Abraham Cunliffe: English painter known for his portraits of celebrities, aristocrats and other dignitaries.
- James Cunliffe: International banker and former Managing Director at Citibank.