Bincliff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Bincliff is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived 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 Bincliff family

The surname Bincliff 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 Bincliff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bincliff 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 Bincliff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bincliff Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bincliff family name include Billcliffe, Bilcliffe, Billcliff, Bilcliff, Billeclyf, Bilclif and many more.

Early Notables of the Bincliff family

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

Migration of the Bincliff family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bincliff surname or a spelling variation of the name include: 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)