Show ContentsMetcalfe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Metcalfe Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Metcalfe

What does the name Metcalfe mean?

The origins of the Metcalfe name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in Yorkshire, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages. The name is of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from two possible sources. Firstly, such Old English terms as mete-corn, meaning "corn for food," and mete-cu, meaning "cow that is to furnish food," make it conceivable that the name Metcalfe is derived from an Old English word "mete-calf," meaning "a calf being fattened up for slaughtering." In this instance, the name would have been originally borne by a calf farmer. Alternatively, the name may come from Middleton Calf Top, a settlement on "The Calf," a hill located at the western boundary of Yorkshire; an early inhabitant of this settlement was known as Medecalf.

Early Origins of the Metcalfe family

The surname Metcalfe was first found in Yorkshire, where the first bearer of the name was said to be William Medecalf de Dent, who lived in Middleton Calf Top during the 12th century when the boundaries of the new counties of Westmorland, Cumberland, and Yorkshire West Riding were formed.

The name also appeared on the census rolls where one of the earliest known bearers, Adam Medecalf, appeared in these rolls in 1301. There seems to be a historical relationships with the Turnbulls that goes back at least 500 years. In most cases the surnames were seen side by side as seen in the humorous quote: "Mr. Metcalf ran off on the meeting of a cow, With pale Mr. Turnbull behind him" 1

Another source claims this as the "traditional" origin of the name: "One John Strong having seized a mad bull by the nostrils with his left hand, killed the beast with his right, and being afterwards questioned on the subject of his prowess, modestly declared that he had simply met a calf. From that time he acquired the surname of Metcalf!" 2

This same source has another whimsical story: "Another version of the story is that 'two men being in the woods together at evening, seeing a four-footed animal coming towards them,' one said, 'Have you not heard of lions in these woods?' The other replied that he had, but had never seen any such thing. The animal coming near, one ran away, while the other resolved to meet it; which proving to be a red calf, he that met it got the name of Metcalfe, and he that ran away that of Lightfoot!" 2

There was a wide variety of spellings used by the family is the early days. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, include: Willelmus Miducroft; and Ricardus de Meducroft.

Another authority claims "It is a remarkable fact that I cannot find Metcalf in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of of 1379. But the Meducrofts are there. Probably the corruption had not yet taken place." 1

By the 16th and 17th century, the name was "so numerous are they that there is scarcely a town or village in the North Riding [of Yorkshire] which cannot own an inhabitant of the name; in truth, in 1607 the Metcalfes were accounted the most numerous family in England; even in 1555 it is recorded that Sir Christopher Metcalfe, of Nappa Hall, near Askrigg, being High Sheriff of Yorkshire, was attended by 300 horsemen, all of his own family and name." 3

Early History of the Metcalfe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Metcalfe research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1556, 1717, 1785, 1810, 1843, 1846 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Metcalfe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Metcalfe Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Metcalfe were recorded, including Metcalfe, Medcalfe, Metcalf, Medcalf, Midkiff and many more.

Early Notables of the Metcalfe family

  • Sir Christopher Metcalfe (c.1556), High Sheriff of Yorkshire, who met the Judges of Assize in York on horseback with 300 mounted men of his own name and kindred, John Metcalf (1717-1810), known as Bli...

Metcalfe Ranking

the United Kingdom, the name Metcalfe is the 508th most popular surname with an estimated 12,798 people with that name. 4 However, in the United States, the name Metcalfe is ranked the 7,190th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Metcalfe family to Ireland

Some of the Metcalfe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Metcalfe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. James Metcalfe, (b. 1756), British settler convicted at Yorkshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 6
  • Mr. John Metcalfe, British settler convicted at Reading, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Barnabus Metcalfe, British settler convicted in Yorkshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing corn, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7
Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Metcalfe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Henry Metcalfe, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Winchester" in 1838 7
  • Mr. Robert Metcalfe, (b. 1809), aged 33, English weaver who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1886 8
  • Mr. Edward Metcalfe, (b. 1824), aged 20, Irish farmer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Eliza Metcalfe, aged 33, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Stag" 10
  • John Metcalfe, aged 39, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Navarino" 11

Metcalfe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Metcalfe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Metcalfe, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 12
  • Mr. Cornelius Metcalfe, (b. 1843), aged 21, English carpenter from Durham travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd October 1864 13

Metcalfe migration to the United States +



Metcalfe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Michill Metcalfe, aged 45, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 aboard the ship "The Rose" 14
  • Mrs. Sarah Metcalfe, aged 39, who landed in Boston in 1637 aboard the ship "The Rose" 15
  • Elizabeth Metcalfe, who landed in Boston in 1637 aboard the ship "The Rose" 15
  • Joane Metcalfe, who landed in Boston in 1637 aboard the ship "The Rose" 15
  • Marey Metcalfe, who landed in Boston in 1637 aboard the ship "The Rose" 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Metcalfe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Leonard Metcalfe, who was bound out as a servant upon arriving in South Carolina in 1727
Metcalfe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Metcalfe, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 14
  • John H Metcalfe, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 14

Contemporary Notables of the name Metcalfe (post 1700) +

  • Philip Metcalfe MP, FRS, FSA (1733-1818), English Tory politician, a malt distiller and a philanthropist
  • Jennifer Joanne Metcalfe (b. 1983), English actress, best known for her role in the cast of soap opera Hollyoaks
  • Scott Metcalfe (1967-2025), Canadian professional ice hockey player, played 19 games in the National Hockey League
  • Burton Denis ”Burt” Metcalfe (1935-2022), Canadian film and television producer, director, and writer for the hit CBS series M*A*S*H for which he received 13 nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards
  • Adrian Peter Metcalfe OBE (1942-2021), British three-time silver medalist athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres
  • Ralph Harold Metcalfe (1910-1978), American gold, two-time silver and bronze medalist track and field sprinter at the Olympics of 1932 and 1936
  • Mr. John Barry Metcalfe B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Mickleton, Gloucestershire
  • Simon Metcalfe (1735-1794), English-born, American surveyor and one of the first maritime fur traders to visit the Pacific Northwest coast
  • Edward Metcalfe (1792-1847), British Benedictine scholar
  • ... (Another 35 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. George Joshua Metcalfe (d. 1914), British Assistant Saloon Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
  • Mr. Thomas Metcalfe, British Assistant Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 17
  • Mr. Matthew Metcalfe (b. 1919), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Sunderland, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17
  • Mr. William F. Metcalfe, British passenger from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking

Suggested Readings for the name Metcalfe +

  • Metcalfe & Related Families by Annie Walker Burns.
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WINCHESTER 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Winchester.htm
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STAG 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Stag.htm
  11. South Australian Register. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Navarino 1857. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/navarino1857.shtml
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. 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)
  15. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  16. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  17. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm

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