Show ContentsBintcliff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Bintcliff family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found 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 Bintcliff family

The surname Bintcliff 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 Bintcliff family

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

Bintcliff Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bintcliff include Billcliffe, Bilcliffe, Billcliff, Bilcliff, Billeclyf, Bilclif and many more.

Early Notables of the Bintcliff family

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

Migration of the Bintcliff family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bintcliff or a variant listed above: a number of settlers who arrived by the 19th century.



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


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