Southcliff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Southcliff name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the area known as Sutcliffe which had three locations in the county of Yorkshire. The surname Southcliff is a habitation name that was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname originated as a means of identifying individuals from a particular area. In the Middle Ages people often assumed the name of the place that they originally lived as their surname during the course of travel. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English words sùd meaning south and clif meaning slope or cliff. Therefore the original bearers of the name were referred to as the dwellers by the south cliffs.

Early Origins of the Southcliff family

The surname Southcliff was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The name was originally spelled Cartcliff, later becoming Skatcliffe, late Scaytcliffe, later Scaitliffe, later Scaytcliffe, later Skaitcliff, and later particularly when the branches included Yorkshire, Sutcliffe. From about 1470 the Crossleys acquired Skatclyffe Hall in the parish of Rochdale in Lancashire, and continued a series of intermarriages with their cousins in Yorkshire.

Early History of the Southcliff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Southcliff research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1550 and 1629 are included under the topic Early Southcliff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Southcliff Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Southcliff were recorded, including Sutcliff, Sutcliffe, Sutliff, Southcliffe and many more.

Early Notables of the Southcliff family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Southcliff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Southcliff family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Southcliff family emigrate to North America: Sara and William Sutcliff and their 21 year old son Robert, who settled in New York in 1820; James Sutcliffe settled in Virginia in 1729; George, John, Joseph, Samuel and William Sutcliffe arrived in Philadelphia between 1841 and 1876..

The Southcliff Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Foy en tout
Motto Translation: Faith in all