Jolliff Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Jolliff is an ancient Norman name, that would have been used in Britain soon after the Conquest of the island in 1066. This name was given to a person who was a happy and lively person. The surname of Jolliffe was originally derived from the Old French word joli, of the same meaning. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Jolliff Early Origins

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The surname Jolliff was first found in Staffordshire where they were an ancient family granted lands by William the Conqueror, and "allied to some of the chief nobles of the Kingdom." A northern branch enjoyed power and affluence in Europe before the Norman Conquest, and were originally known as Jolli. This spelling changed with the years to Jollye, to Jolliff, and finally to Jolliffe.

Jolliff Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Jolliffe, Jolli, Jolliff and others.

Jolliff Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jolliff research. Another 269 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1824, 1613, 1680, 1660, 1679, 1660, 1750, 1734, 1741, 1697 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Jolliff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jolliff Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Jolliffe; John Jolliffe (1613-1680), an English merchant in London and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679; William Jolliffe (1660-1750), British politician, Member of Parliament for Petersfield (1734-1741)...

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jolliff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jolliff In Ireland

Some of the Jolliff family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Jolliff or a variant listed above:

Jolliff Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Jolliff, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)

Jolliff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fannie Jolliff, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1895 aboard the ship "Silvia" from St. John's, Newfoundland via Halifax ^[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX3M-BJC : 6 December 2014), Fannie Jolliff, 01 Oct 1895; citing departure port St. John's, Newfoundland via Halifax, arrival port New York, ship name Silvia, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
James H. Jolliff, aged 45, originally from London, who arrived in New York in 1895 aboard the ship "Teutonic" from Liverpool, England ^[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX35-8J3 : 6 December 2014), James H. Jolliff, 25 Sep 1895; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Teutonic, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
M. Jolliff, aged 81, who arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Portia" from St. John's, Newfoundland ^[4]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX7D-4M7 : 6 December 2014), M. Jolliff, 17 Sep 1896; citing departure port St. John's, Newfoundland, arrival port New York, ship name Portia, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Contemporary Notables of the name Jolliff (post 1700)

Howard "Howie" Jolliff (b. 1938), American former professional NBA basketball player

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: Tant que je puis
Motto Translation: As much as I can.

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Citations

^ 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)
^ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX3M-BJC : 6 December 2014), Fannie Jolliff, 01 Oct 1895; citing departure port St. John's, Newfoundland via Halifax, arrival port New York, ship name Silvia, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
^ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX35-8J3 : 6 December 2014), James H. Jolliff, 25 Sep 1895; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Teutonic, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
^ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX7D-4M7 : 6 December 2014), M. Jolliff, 17 Sep 1896; citing departure port St. John's, Newfoundland, arrival port New York, ship name Portia, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Other References

Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
Hinde, Thomas Ed. The Domesday Book England's Heritage Then and Now. Surrey: Colour Library Books, 1995. Print. (ISBN 1-85833-440-3).
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X).
Ingram, Rev. James. Translator Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1823. Print.
Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.
Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
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The Jolliff Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Jolliff Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 23 May 2017 at 08:45.