Surname Midkiff - Meaning and Origin
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Midkiff: What does the surname Midkiff mean?
The last name Midkiff is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is typically thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Medcalf in the County of Sussex in England. The name itself is made up of two Old English components: 'mead' or 'med', which means "meadow", and 'cealf' which translates to "calf". Therefore, the name Midkiff can be interpreted to mean "calf at the meadow" or "meadow of calves". This could suggest that the original bearers of the last name likely owned, raised, or took care of calves in a meadow. Like many other surnames, it may have been used to identify individuals based on their occupation or place of residence. Note that spellings of surnames were often variable until recent times, so Medcalf, Meatcalfe, Medcalfe, and Midkiff may all be variations of the same name.
Order DNA origin analysisMidkiff: Where does the name Midkiff come from?
The last name Midkiff is of English origin and possibly derived from an Old Norse personal name, MikjálfR. It might also have been inspired by a village named Myklebust in Western Norway. The Midkiff surname is also believed to be a locational surname, originating from a place name in England, likely from the Middle English words "middel" meaning middle and "kirk" meaning church.
The Midkiff surname first originated in Lincolnshire, England. It then widely spread to the American continent during the early colonial period, specifically in eastern Virginia. Some Midkiff families moved westward during the 19th century to states such as Texas and New Mexico.
Today, the last name Midkiff is most commonly found in the United States, particularly in West Virginia. Other states where the Midkiff name is prevalent include Kentucky, Virginia, and Texas. Despite this, it is still considered a relatively rare last name. There is also a small presence of individuals with the Midkiff surname in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Variations of the surname Midkiff
Midkiff is a unique surname that reportedly originates from England. As such, there may not be many variant spellings. It possibly derives from an Anglicization of an old English name. In the past, names frequently changed due to errors in translation and pronunciation, so while concrete variants of Midkiff are hard to find, it might possibly have been misspelled or mispronounced as Midkif, Midkiv, or Midkiffi in different documents or translations.
The surname Midkiff could also possibly be associated with individuals from a place called Midkiff in the United States or elsewhere. This means that if people moved away from Midkiff, they may have taken the name of their place of origin as their surname, or made slight modifications to it based on their new location or dialect.
Nonetheless, this name is not very common, and there may not necessarily be many different spellings, variants, or related surnames originating from it. The exact origin and list of potential variants of the surname Midkiff would likely need extensive genealogical research to define more accurately.
Famous people with the name Midkiff
- Mary Midkiff: American professional soccer player, member of the FIFA Women's Player of the Century jury, and U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame inductee.
- Michelle Midkiff: American artist specializing in installation art and storytelling.
- Mitt Midkiff: American actor, known for roles on TV shows such as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Ally McBeal.
- Tom Midkiff: American writer, who has had his works appear in venues such as the film Water Pills and magazines like The Atlantic Monthly.
- Steve Midkiff: American sculptor and painter. His works have been displayed in numerous museums, including the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum.
- Ray Midkiff: American illustrator whose work has appeared in publications such as comic books and role-playing game accessories.
- Meg Midkiff: American painter and sculptor, whose works are housed in permanent collections of Harvard University's Sackler Museum and California's Getty Museum.
- Elzie Midkiff: American actor, who has starred in films such as Leave It To Beaver and Ghost Story.
- Mark Midkiff: American musician and record producer, who has worked with a variety of big names in the music industry, including Eminem and Janet Jackson.
- Chris Midkiff: American drummer for the punk rock band The Offspring.