Ratliff Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Ratliff last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Ratliff last name
Meaning of the Ratliff last name: red cliff. Ratliff is an English surname, a form of Radcliffe, from places in Lancashire named for a red cliff, from Old English rēad, "red", and clif. The spelling Ratliff became usual in America, where the last name is common in Kentucky and Virginia. Curiously, the red cliff at Radcliffe is sandstone above the River Irwell.
Arms associated with the Ratliff name
Coats of arms associated with the Ratliff surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Ratliff family history
This is only a glimpse of the Ratliff story. The full Ratliff history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Ratliff coat of arms. Get the full Ratliff report.
Ratliff name FAQ
What does the Ratliff name mean?
Red cliff. Common variants include Ratcliff, Ratcliffe.
Where does the Ratliff surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Ratliff coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ratliff coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).