Suttliff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Suttliff name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the area known as Sutcliffe which had three locations in the county of Yorkshire. The surname Suttliff 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 Suttliff family

The surname Suttliff 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 Suttliff family

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

Suttliff Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Suttliff has undergone many spelling variations, including Sutcliff, Sutcliffe, Sutliff, Southcliffe and many more.

Early Notables of the Suttliff family

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

Migration of the Suttliff family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Suttliff were among those contributors: 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 Suttliff 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