JOLLIFFE
Jolliffe is a surname of English origin that first appeared in the Middle Ages as a nickname. The name derives from the Middle English word joli, meaning joyful or merry. Its roots can be traced further back to the Old French word jolif, which also denotes a merry, lively, or happy disposition. Some scholars suggest that the French term may itself originate from the Old Norse word jol, referring to the midwinter festival celebrating the lengthening of daylight, a rite that later became incorporated into Christian celebrations of the birth of Christ.
The practice of creating surnames from nicknames was common in the Middle Ages, and the sobriquet that described a cheerful or lively person evolved into the hereditary surname Jolliffe. The earliest surviving records of the name appear in the 13th and 14th centuries: Walter Jolyf is recorded in Bedfordshire in 1281; Henry Jolyffe is found in London circa 1300; and Alicia Jolyff is noted in Yorkshire in 1379. A further early instance is John Jolyf, dated 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire during the reign of King Edward the First.
Several spelling variations have appeared over time. Seven principal forms are recognised: Jolliff, Jolliffe, Jolley, Jollie, Jolly, Joly and Jolliffs. The name is also occasionally seen as Jolliffes, Jolifs, Jolives, Jollives, Jolyff, Jolyffe, Jolyve or Jolyfe, the differences reflecting regional pronunciations and orthographic tendencies.
Prominent members of the family rose to distinction in England. William George Hylton Jolliffe (1800–1876) was created a baronet in 1821, served as Secretary to the Treasury and Conservative whip between 1858 and 1859, and was elevated to the peerage as Baron Hylton in 1866. The Jolliffe family possessed a distinctive coat of arms: a silver shield with a green pile on which three dexter hands are couped at the wrist and erect; the crest features a cubit arm erect, vested green and cuffed, with a silver pile on the sleeve, its hand grasping a sword rendered in the proper tinctures.
Geographically, the surname has been associated with several regions of England, notably Staffordshire where the family held the estate of Wyrley, and the Isle of Wight, where present‑day concentration of the name is highest. While not widespread, the surname can now be found in various English‑speaking countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
Typical given names associated with the Jolliffe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Josephine
- Karen
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Jolliffe in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 2,140 people named Jolliffe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,960th most common surname in Britain. Around 33 in a million people in Britain are named Jolliffe.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Jolliffe
- Steve Jolliffe - Musician
- Raymond Jolliffe, 5th Baron Hylton - Baron
- Eric Jolliffe - Cartoonist, illustrator (1907 to 2001)
- David Jolliffe - Soldier
- Henry Jolliffe - Cricketer (1865 to 1936)
- Arthur Jolliffe - Mathematician (1871 to 1944)
- William Jolliffe - New Zealand public servant (1851 to 1927)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.