Metcalf Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Metcalf last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Metcalf last name
Meaning of the Metcalf last name: fattened calf. Metcalf is an English surname from the north, most likely a nickname from Middle English mete, "food", and calf, for a calf being fattened. The last name is strongly tied to Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales. Curiously, Metcalfes built and held Nappa Hall in Wensleydale, a fortified manor house from the 1400s.
Arms associated with the Metcalf name
Coats of arms associated with the Metcalf surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Metcalf family history
This is only a glimpse of the Metcalf story. The full Metcalf 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 Metcalf coat of arms. Get the full Metcalf report.
Metcalf name FAQ
What does the Metcalf name mean?
Fattened calf. Common variants include Metcalfe, Medcalf.
Where does the Metcalf surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Metcalf coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Metcalf coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).