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

Jolliff, 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 Jolliff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jolliff in America

Jolliff is the 14046th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jolliff surname appeared 2,144 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jolliff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jolliff 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 Jolliff

The surname Jolliff is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the French name Jolif or Jolliffe, which is derived from the Old French word "jolif" meaning "pretty" or "handsome."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Jollif." This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the name Jolliff was concentrated primarily in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire in southwestern England. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, possibly as a descriptive nickname for someone with a cheerful or attractive appearance.

In the 13th century, a record exists of a Richard Jolliff who was a landowner in the village of Cheddar, Somerset. Another early bearer of the name was John Jolliff, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Bridgwater in Somerset in 1327.

One notable figure with the surname Jolliff was Sir William Jolliff (1611-1671), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Petersfield in Hampshire during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Jolliff family was John Jolliff (1706-1786), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Wiltshire. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and donated funds to establish a school in the town of Trowbridge.

Another significant individual was Sir William Jolliffe (1745-1802), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and was knighted for his military service.

In the 19th century, Hylton Jolliffe (1807-1890) was a notable English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Stafford and wrote several theological works.

While the name Jolliff may have originated as a descriptive nickname, over time it became a well-established surname in certain regions of England, particularly in the southwestern counties. Despite its rarity, the name has persisted through the centuries, with various individuals bearing it making contributions in fields such as politics, business, the military, and the Church.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jolliff

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

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 Jolliff 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 Jolliff 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 Jolliff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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