Show ContentsMcAddoowe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

McAddoowe is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the McAddoowe family once lived in the settlement of Concliff in the county of Lancashire. The surname McAddoowe 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 McAddoowe family

The surname McAddoowe 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 McAddoowe family

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

McAddoowe Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the McAddoowe family name include Cunliffe, Cuncliffe, Concliffe, Conliffe, Cunlife, Conlife, Cunliff, Conliff and many more.

Early Notables of the McAddoowe family

More information is included under the topic Early McAddoowe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McAddoowe family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the McAddoowe surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Henry Cunliffe who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1630; John and Esther Cunliffe arrived in Maryland in 1775 and later settled in Virginia; John Cunliffe settled in New York State in 1775.



The McAddoowe 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.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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)


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