Re: CLIFT Surname Distribution
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In reply to:
Re: CLIFT Surname Distribution
Bill Clift 5/02/01
As I commented in my previous note, 'Cliff' and 'Clift', though similar, may have entirely different origins. Thus the argument that a number of names ending with the 'cliff' (cliffe, etc) syllable implies a surname of topological origin may not apply to 'Clift'. The British Isles also has cliffs (topologically speaking) more or less equally distributed all round its coasts, not just or even mainly in the north.
Surnames may well have originated in the 13th century, but this does not prevent new ones being coined to fit with new occupations, and coal mining as a major occupation in the industrialised regions of Europe is a distinctly 18th century phenomenon.