Show ContentsCalfee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Calfee is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from Calf, a variant of the Old Norse personal name Kalfr, which means calf. However, several alternative interpretations exist. The name may be of nickname origin, derived from the Old English cealf which means calf, indicating one thought to possess the characteristics of a calf. [1]

Early Origins of the Calfee family

The surname Calfee was first found in various counties throughout old Britain as by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the following listings were found: Reginald Cauf, Yorkshire; John le Cauf, Lincolnshire; and Nicholas Calf, Gloucestershire. [2]

Early History of the Calfee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calfee research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1176, 1273, 1500, 1560, 1580, 1597, 1605, 1657 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Calfee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Calfee Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Calfee have been found, including Calf, Calfe, Cauf, Caufe, Calffe and others.

Early Notables of the Calfee family

Notables of the family at this time include Abraham Colfe or Calf (1580-1657), English divine, son of the Rev. Richard Colfe, D.D., prebendary of Canterbury, by his first wife, whose maiden name was Thorneton, was born at Canterbury, 7 Aug. 1580, of a family that had settled...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Calfee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Calfee Ranking

In the United States, the name Calfee is the 9,996th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Calfee family to Ireland

Some of the Calfee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Calfee family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Calfee, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were : William Calfe who arrived in Virginia in 1637 and Daniel Calf in Boston in 1765.


Contemporary Notables of the name Calfee (post 1700) +

  • John Edward "Jack" Calfee (1941-2011), American economist and author


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  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)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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