Cunliffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cunliffe

What does the name Cunliffe mean?

The ancestors of the name Cunliffe date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Cunliffe family lived in the settlement of Concliff in the county of Lancashire. The surname Cunliffe belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The name in Anglo Saxon meant "War love."

Early Origins of the Cunliffe family

The surname Cunliffe was first found in Lancashire where Nicholas le Cumbecliue was first listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. 1 The name traces back to Cundcliff, now known as Cunliffe Hill, in the township of Billington, near Blackburn in Lancashire. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 - 1276 list Robert de Cundeclif in Yorkshire. 1 2

A few years later Adam de Cunliffe was listed in Yorkshire 1317-1318. 2 The Register of Freemen of the City of York in 1411 lists Thomas Cunclyff. 1

Early History of the Cunliffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cunliffe research. Another 284 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1611, 1750, 1790, 1820 and 1871 are included under the topic Early Cunliffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cunliffe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cunliffe are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cunliffe include: Cunliffe, Cuncliffe, Concliffe, Conliffe, Cunlife, Conlife, Cunliff, Conliff and many more.

Early Notables of the Cunliffe family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Ellis Cunliffe of Liverpool

Cunliffe migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Cunliffe or a variant listed above:

Cunliffe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Cunliffe who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1630
Henry Cunliffe, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1644 3

Cunliffe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John and Esther Cunliffe, who arrived in Maryland in 1775 and later settled in Virginia
John Cunliffe, who settled in New York State in 1775

Cunliffe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Cunliffe, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1811 3
Simon Cunliffe, who landed in New York in 1830 3
Mrs. Cunliffe, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
Alice Cunliffe, aged 17, who landed in New York in 1864 3
Esther Cunliffe, aged 10, who landed in New York in 1864 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cunliffe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cunliffe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cunliffe, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. William Cunliffe, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Cunliffe (post 1700) +

Mitzi Cunliffe (1918-2006), American sculptor
David Cunliffe (1935-2022), English Primetime Emmy Award nominated producer and director from Cheam, Surrey, best known for The Sandbaggers (1978-1980), The Inside Man (1969) and Timeslip (1985)
Whit Cunliffe (1876-1966), English comic singer
Robert Cunliffe (b. 1973), English cricketer
Sir Robert Alfred Cunliffe (1839-1905), 5th Baronet, an English Liberal politician
Sir Foster Hugh Egerton Cunliffe (1875-1916), 6th Baronet, an English historian and cricketer
Daniel "Dan" Cunliffe (1875-1937), English footballer
Walter Cunliffe (1855-1920), 1st Baron Cunliffe, British merchant banker, founder of Cunliffe Brothers in London, Governor of the Bank of England from 1913 to 1918
John Arthur Cunliffe (1933-2018), British children's book author, best known for his creation of "Rosie and Jim" and "Postman Pat" which has appeared in more than 50 countries
Stella Cunliffe MBE (b. 1917), Director of Statistics at the British Home Office
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Cunliffe 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: Fideliter
Motto Translation: Faithfully.

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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook