UK surname
A locational surname derived from the placename Radcliffe (red cliff).
In the 1881 census there were 34 people recorded with the Ratliffe surname, ranking it #28,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 16, ranked #36,998, down from #28,837 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Hadleigh and Stony Stratford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ratliffe is 126 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 52.9%.
1881 census count
34
Ranked #28,837
Modern count
16
2016, ranked #36,998
Peak year
1861
126 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Ratliffe surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Ratliffe surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 76 | #20,127 |
| 1861 | historical | 126 | #17,569 |
| 1881 | historical | 34 | #28,837 |
| 1891 | historical | 53 | #29,946 |
| 1901 | historical | 38 | #29,914 |
| 1911 | historical | 34 | #29,600 |
| 1997 | modern | 24 | #35,376 |
| 1998 | modern | 21 | #35,788 |
| 1999 | modern | 19 | #36,041 |
| 2000 | modern | 16 | #36,316 |
| 2001 | modern | 14 | #36,372 |
| 2002 | modern | 16 | #36,267 |
| 2003 | modern | 19 | #36,011 |
| 2004 | modern | 18 | #36,245 |
| 2005 | modern | 17 | #36,407 |
| 2006 | modern | 12 | #37,014 |
| 2007 | modern | 15 | #36,793 |
| 2008 | modern | 14 | #36,950 |
| 2009 | modern | 14 | #37,041 |
| 2010 | modern | 16 | #36,937 |
| 2011 | modern | 15 | #37,030 |
| 2012 | modern | 15 | #36,982 |
| 2013 | modern | 16 | #36,955 |
| 2014 | modern | 17 | #36,888 |
| 2015 | modern | 17 | #36,887 |
| 2016 | modern | 16 | #36,998 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Hadleigh, Stony Stratford, Manchester and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prestbury | Cheshire |
| 2 | Hadleigh | Suffolk |
| 3 | Stony Stratford | Northamptonshire |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory | Northamptonshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Ratliffe surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ratliffe, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Ratliffe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Ratliffe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Ratliffe is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ratliffe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Ratliffe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname RATLIFFE has its origins in England, emerging during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a now-lost place name that may have been located in Derbyshire or Staffordshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "ræt" meaning a rat and "hlīfe" meaning a hill or slope.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RATLIFFE can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where it appears as "Roger de Rateclyve." This variant spelling provides insight into the name's evolution over time, as it likely referred to someone from a place called Ratcliffe or a similar name meaning "rat hill."
The RATLIFFE surname appears in various historical records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of Derbyshire in the late 17th century and the Parish Registers of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in the 16th and 17th centuries. These records suggest that the name was well-established in the region during this period.
Prominent individuals with the surname RATLIFFE include Sir John Radcliffe (c. 1537-1568), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Thomas Radcliffe (1753-1823), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the RATLIFFE surname was John Ratliff, who was born in Virginia in 1683. He was a planter and one of the first settlers in what is now West Virginia. Another notable American with this surname was Thomas Ratliff (1781-1854), a pioneer and early settler in Indiana.
The name RATLIFFE has also been associated with several places in England, such as Radcliffe-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, which was recorded as "Radecliue" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This place name likely shares a similar origin with the surname, further solidifying its locational roots.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ratliffe surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 9 Ratliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 9 | 2.22x |
| Worcestershire | 7 | 15.71x |
| Cheshire | 4 | 5.31x |
| Kent | 4 | 3.44x |
| Middlesex | 3 | 0.88x |
| Shropshire | 2 | 6.78x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.59x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 1.87x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 4.25x |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 15.77x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 3.12x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pirton in Worcestershire leads with 7 Ratliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 35000.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Pirton | 7 | 35000.00x |
| Liverpool | 5 | 20.33x |
| Macclesfield | 4 | 119.40x |
| Rochester St Nicholas | 4 | 1111.11x |
| Donington | 2 | 4000.00x |
| Hammersmith London | 2 | 23.78x |
| Toxteth Park | 2 | 14.59x |
| Ashford | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Bushey | 1 | 178.57x |
| Finchley | 1 | 76.34x |
| Oldham | 1 | 7.65x |
| Peterborough | 1 | 43.10x |
| Rushen | 1 | 232.56x |
| Sheffield | 1 | 9.29x |
| Sutton | 1 | 73.53x |
| Thorpe Salvin | 1 | 2500.00x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ratliffe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ratliffe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ratliffe households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 8 |
| Bricklayer | 1 |
| Civil Engineer | 1 |
| Coal Labourer | 1 |
| Cotton Spinner | 1 |
| Domestic Servt | 1 |
| Fisherman | 1 |
| General Laborer | 1 |
| General Porter | 1 |
| Lab For Masons | 1 |
| Labourer (General) | 1 |
| Railway Porter | 1 |
| Railway Porter Wife | 1 |
| Sissors Dressers | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 34 people were recorded with the Ratliffe surname. That placed it at #28,837 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 16 in 2016. That gives Ratliffe a modern rank of #36,998.
A locational surname derived from the placename Radcliffe (red cliff).
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ratliffe bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.