Find out how popular the last name Barcliff is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Barcliff.

Barcliff, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Barcliff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barcliff in America

Barcliff is the 94311th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barcliff surname appeared 194 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Barcliff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barcliff to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Barcliff

The surname Barcliff has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bearg," meaning hill or hill-spur, and "clif," meaning a cliff or steep slope, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or cliff.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, which mention a "William de Barclif." This record suggests that the surname was already in use as a locational name by the end of the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Barclyf," "Barkclif," and "Barkliff," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain an entry for a "William de Barkclif" in Lincolnshire.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Barcliff surname, as it primarily focused on landowners and tenants of the time. However, it does mention several place names that may have been related to the origin of the surname, such as "Barcleia" in Nottinghamshire and "Barchelie" in Derbyshire.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Barcliff surname. One of the earliest recorded was John Barcliff (c. 1320 - 1395), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in the late 14th century.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Barcliff (c. 1460 - 1525), a English knight and landowner who served as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire during the reign of Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, Thomas Barcliff (1619 - 1693) was an English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his works on theology and religious controversies.

During the 18th century, William Barcliff (1742 - 1815) was a successful merchant and philanthropist in the city of Bristol, England, notable for his support of various charitable causes.

In the 19th century, Emily Barcliff (1825 - 1898) was a British author and playwright, best known for her historical novels set in medieval England.

While the surname Barcliff is not among the most common in England, its long history and various notable bearers have contributed to its enduring presence throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barcliff

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Barcliff.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barcliff was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Barcliff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Barcliff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Barcliff, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!