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

Radcliffe, 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 Radcliffe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Radcliffe in America

Radcliffe is the 5812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Radcliffe surname appeared 5,948 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Radcliffe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Radcliffe 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 Radcliffe

The surname Radcliffe has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Radcliffe, which is found in several areas of the country, including Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Greater Manchester.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Radeclive" and "Radecliue." These spellings suggest that the name may have been derived from the Old English words "read" (meaning red) and "clif" (meaning cliff or slope), possibly referring to a red cliff or hillside.

In the 12th century, the name was recorded as "Raddeclive" and "Radeclyve," and by the 13th century, it had evolved into the more recognizable form of "Radcliffe." The various spellings and variations of the name reflect the changes in language and pronunciation over time.

One notable individual who bore the Radcliffe surname was Sir John Radcliffe (1650-1714), a renowned physician and founder of the Radcliffe Library and the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford. Another prominent figure was Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex (1526-1583), who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the literary world, Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) was a pioneering writer of Gothic fiction, known for her influential novels such as "The Mysteries of Udolpho" and "The Italian." Her works significantly contributed to the development of the Gothic genre.

Sir George Radcliffe (1593-1657) was a notable English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and played a significant role in the events leading up to the conflict.

Another individual of note was Alexander Radcliffe (1775-1840), a British explorer and cartographer who surveyed and mapped large portions of North America, including the Canadian Arctic and the Great Lakes region.

The Radcliffe surname has been borne by many other notable figures throughout history, including politicians, academics, military leaders, and artists, reflecting its widespread distribution and long-standing presence in various parts of England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Radcliffe

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

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

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

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