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Ratliff Family History

Ratliff Name Meaning

English (Suffolk): habitational name from one or more of the places so named such as Radcliffe (Lancashire) Radcliffe on Trent and Ratcliffe on Soar (both Nottinghamshire) Radclive (Buckinghamshire) Ratcliffe Culey and Ratcliffe on the Wreake (both Leicestershire) Ratclyffe in Clyst Hydon Ratcliffes in Thorverton and Ratcliffes in Broad Clyst (all Devon) Ratcliff in Stepney (Middlesex) and Rackley in Compton Bishop (Somerset). The placenames derive from Old English rēad ‘red’ + clif ‘cliff bank steep slope’ (see also Rutley ). A family of the name Radcliffe trace their descent from Sir Nicholas de Radclyffe. He is said to have been a knight who held the major of Radcliffe in Lancashire and served Roger de Poitou Baron de Marsey in the 11th century.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Ratliffe, Rackliff, Radcliff, Ratcliffe, Setliff, Bayliff, Radcliffe

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Where is the Ratliff family from?

You can see how Ratliff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ratliff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ratliff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 32 Ratliff families living in Kentucky. This was about 19% of all the recorded Ratliff's in USA. Kentucky had the highest population of Ratliff families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ratliff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Ratliff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ratliff. 24% of Ratliff men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Ratliff women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ratliff were Farm Laborer and Maid. .

View Census Data for Ratliff | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Miner
    5%
  • Farm Laborer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Maid
    6%
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What Ratliff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 68,000 census records available for the last name Ratliff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ratliff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ratliff

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Ratliff. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ratliff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Ratliff. For the veterans among your Ratliff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Ratliff family history

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What is the average Ratliff lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Ratliff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Ratliff in 1943 was 39, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ratliff

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