Cunliff Surname

2,580,327th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 56 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
South Africa

Cunliff Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Cundcliff,' now Cunliffe Hill, in the township of Billington, near Blackburn, Lancashire. 'Cliff' is undoubtedly the suffix; compare Topliff for Topcliff.

Robert de Cundeclif, or Cunteclif, Yorkshire, 1273.

Read More About This Surname

Cunliff Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States331:10,983,604436,696
South Africa131:4,167,516132,322
England81:6,964,757184,742
Canada21:18,422,796409,488
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England981:248,72818,134
Scotland91:415,91311,811
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States661:760,88948,111

Cunliff Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Cundcliff,' now Cunliffe Hill, in the township of Billington, near Blackburn, Lancashire. 'Cliff' is undoubtedly the suffix; compare Topliff for Topcliff.

Robert de Cundeclif, or Cunteclif, Yorkshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Adam de Cunliffe, 1317-8: Baines' Lancashire.

Christabel Cunliffe, of Altham, widow, 1595: Wills at Chester.

Thomas Dewhirst, of Cunliffe in Kisgston, husbandman, 1648: ibid. (1621-50).

William Clayton de Cunliffe, 1642: Preston Guild Rolls.

Ellis Cunliffe, 1642: ibid.

Nicholas Cundliffe, 1662: ibid.

Nicholas Cunliffe, Lancashire, 1606: Register of the University of Oxford.

1809. Married — Foster Cunliffe, of Wrexham, and Hon. Emma Crew: St. George, Hanover Square.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

This surname but rarely found in Scotland is of English origin from Cunliffe, a place name in Lancashire, in 1278 Gundeclyf, 'the cliff of Gunnhildr.'.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

Local-the last syllable standing for cliffe, the same as in Hinchliffe, Shirtliffe, &c. The Encycl. Herald, has Cunliff or Concliffe of Lancashire.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

The Cunliffes belong to an ancient and a notable family originally of Cunliffe Hill, but for the last 250 years of Wycoller Hall, in the parish of Whalley (B.). Foster Cunliffe was mayor of Liverpool in 1716, 1729, and 1735; and Robert Cunliffe held the same office in 1758 (B. L.). Besides the seat, there is a Lancashire village of this name.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Cunliff Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Cunliff Come From? nationality or country of origin

Cunliff occurs more in The United States more than any other country/territory. It can be found as a variant:. For other possible spellings of this surname click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Cunliff? popularity and diffusion

Cunliff is the 2,580,327th most commonly occurring last name on a global scale. It is borne by approximately 1 in 130,134,748 people. The last name is mostly found in The Americas, where 63 percent of Cunliff are found; 63 percent are found in North America and 63 percent are found in Anglo-North America.

This last name is most numerous in The United States, where it is borne by 33 people, or 1 in 10,983,604. In The United States Cunliff is primarily concentrated in: Oregon, where 24 percent live, Missouri, where 12 percent live and Arkansas, where 9 percent live. Apart from The United States this last name exists in 3 countries. It is also found in South Africa, where 23 percent live and England, where 14 percent live.

Cunliff Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Cunliff has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Cunliff surname declined 50 percent between 1880 and 2014 and in England it declined 92 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Cunliff Last Name Statistics demography

In The United States those holding the Cunliff surname are 3.23% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than The US average, with 50% being registered to vote for the political party.

The amount Cunliff earn in different countries varies greatly. In South Africa they earn 55.32% less than the national average, earning R 106,188 per year and in United States they earn 83.07% more than the national average, earning $78,994 USD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Cunliffe939,376/
Cunnliff931/
Cunliffs930/
Cunlif921/
Cunnliffe8818/
Cunlifffe883/
Conliff86132/
Cunlife864/
Cunleff860/
Cunlief860/
Cumliffe805/
Conleff712/
Cumlife710/
Sunleaf5765/
Dzhunliev503/

Search for Another Surname

Cunliff Reference & Research

Cundiff FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Cundiff FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

The name statistics are still in development, sign up for information on more maps and data

By signing up to the mailing list you will only receive emails specifically about name reference on Forebears and your information will not be distributed to 3rd parties.

Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Cunliff
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis