Surname Cundcliffe - Meaning and Origin

Cundcliffe: What does the surname Cundcliffe mean?

The last name Cundcliffe is likely a location-based surname derived from a particular place in England. The name may have originated in a hamlet called Cundcliffe near the town of Wellington, located in the county of Somerset. Its earliest records date back to 1243, and research suggests that its original spelling was “Cundclive”. The “Cund” portion of the name is derived from the Old English word “cund” or “cuene”, which means hill or mound, while “cliffe” is of Scandinavian origin, likely derived from the words “klett” or “klif”, referring to a slope or slanting shoreline. Combined, these two words would have originally been translated as “mound on a slanting shoreline”, likely referring to a specific place.

Over time, the spelling of Cundcliffe has been altered, with variations such as “Condclife”, “Cundcliff”, “Cuncliffe”, and “Cundliffe” all appearing in historical records throughout England. This indicates that the name is likely derived from a place of significant importance to its original family. In modern times, the name is common among those of English descent, primarily in the United Kingdom, as well as some other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Cundcliffe: Where does the name Cundcliffe come from?

The last name Cundcliffe is particularly common in England and Ireland. In England, its largest concentrations are found in Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. Cundcliffe is also fairly common in other regions of the United Kingdom, such as Wales and Scotland, but not as common as in England.

The origins of the Cundcliffe name go back to mediaeval Norman times and is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It derived from the personal name Cundclef, which comes from the old English cund or cunn meaning 'bold'. Cundcliffe was likely a byname given to a brave and daring ancestor.

In Ireland, Cundcliffe is mostly located in Londonderry and Donegal counties, as well as in the South and West. Additionally, records show that the Cundcliffe name can also be found in the United States. Here, the name is scattered across the country, with the largest concentrations in California, New York, Florida and Texas.

In general, the Cundcliffe name is most common in England and Ireland, and it remains a fairly common name today.

Variations of the surname Cundcliffe

The Cundcliffe surname has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants of the Cundcliffe name are Cundcliff and Cundclif. Cundcliff is an older spelling of Cundcliffe and was used before the spelling underwent a minor change. Another common variant of Cundcliffe is Cundliffe, which was used more often in the 19th century. Less common variants include Cundclift, Cundcliffee, Cundcliffe, and Cundliff.

Some less common surnames that are closely related to Cundcliffe are Cuncliffe, Concliffe, Condliff, Condliffe, Kundliffe, and Kundliff. These are all spelling variants of the same surname, and they likely originated from the same place, most likely in southern England, but evidence suggests the surname may have also appeared in Flanders in Medieval times.

The Cundcliffe surname is also spelled differently depending on in which country it is found. In Ireland, for example, the surname has been Anglicized to Cundeliff, Cundliff, and Cundeliffe, as well as other variants. In Scotland, the surname has been spelled Cundliff as well.

Variations of the spelling of the Cundcliffe surname can also occur depending on the language it is being transliterated from. For example, in Polish, Cundcliffe is spelled Kondlak. In Russian, the surname is spelled Kondlaf and in Italian, it is spelled Condlak. In Spanish, the surname might be spelled Condliffe and in Catalan, it might be spelled Cundlif.

Famous people with the name Cundcliffe

• William Cundcliff: was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1625 to 1629.
• Marie Cundcliff: was an American board game designer and inventor.
• James Cundcliff: was an English scholar, educationist, and cleric.
• Charles Cundcliff: was an English professional footballer who played as a defender for Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City.
• Joseph Cundcliff-Taylor: was a British clavichord maker, composer, and royal court musician.
• William Cundcliff-Owen: was an English politician and professional cricketer.
• Tom Cuncliffe: was an English footballer who played as a centre-forward for Port Vale and Shrewsbury Town.
• George Cundcliffe: was an English professional footballer.
• Alfred Cundcliffe: was an Australian first-class cricketer.
• Alfred Cundcliff-Keen: was an English first-class cricketer.

Other surnames

Cundcliff