Bencliff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Bencliff comes from when the family resided in the village of Bilcliff, in the West Riding of the county of Yorkshire. The name of that place is derived from the Old English word bil, which originally referred to a sword or halberd.

Early Origins of the Bencliff family

The surname Bencliff was first found in Yorkshire, where one of the first records of the name was Thomas de Billeclyf who was listed there in 1308. Later, John Bilclif was listed in Yorkshire in 1617. 1

A very learned family, the Register of the University of Oxford has two early listings: Thomas Bilclif,1581; and Thomas Bilcliffe, Berkshire, 1615. 2

Early History of the Bencliff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bencliff research. Another 236 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1308, 1500, 1615, 1617, 1661, 1663, 1668, 1788 and 1793 are included under the topic Early Bencliff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bencliff Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Bencliff has been recorded under many different variations, including Billcliffe, Bilcliffe, Billcliff, Bilcliff, Billeclyf, Bilclif and many more.

Early Notables of the Bencliff family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bencliff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bencliff family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bencliff or a variant listed above: a number of settlers who arrived by the 19th century.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)