Stancliffe Family History

As Redmonds has shown, this is from Scout in Northowram (WR Yorks), which is recorded as Staynclif in 1309 and Stancliff Skoute (the home of Edward Stankliff) in 1536. The place-name derives from Old English stān ‘stone rock’ with influence from Old Scandinavian steinn ‘stone rock’ + Old English clif ‘cliff bank’ later with Middle English scoute ‘projecting cliff overhanging rock’ (Old Scandinavian skúti).

No evidence has been found to link the modern surname with other WR Yorks places similarly named such as Stancliffe in Kirkheaton, Stonecliff Lodge in Shitlington, Staincliffe in Bank Newton, or Staincliffe in Batley.

Derivation from Stancliffe Hall in Darley (Derbys) is difficult to assess since all the earliest forms cited in Place-Names of Derbys appear to be surnames, and the Hall may therefore have been named from the family (a branch of the Northowram family?) which is recorded there since before 123.

Here belongs Alicia de Stanclyf 1381 in Poll Tax (Darley, Derbys).