Clifton Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Clifton last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Clifton last name
Meaning of the Clifton last name: farm by a cliff. Clifton is a surname taken from the many English villages named Clifton, "farm by a cliff or steep bank", from Old English clif and tūn. The last name arose independently in different regions. Curiously, the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, designed by Brunel, spans the gorge beside one of these places.
Arms associated with the Clifton name
Coats of arms associated with the Clifton surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Clifton family history
This is only a glimpse of the Clifton story. The full Clifton history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Clifton coat of arms. Get the full Clifton report.
Clifton name FAQ
What does the Clifton name mean?
Farm by a cliff. Common variants include Clifften, Clyfton.
Where does the Clifton surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Clifton coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Clifton coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).