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.
Early Origins of the Jolliff family
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.
Early History of the Jolliff family
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 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.
Early Notables of the Jolliff family (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.
Migration of the Jolliff family to 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.
Migration of the Jolliff family to the New World and Oceana
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
The Jolliff 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.