
The name is Anglo-Norman in origin. What we know today as Norsemen or Vikings, these people were conquerers and ruled large parts of England in the 11th century. They were great hunters and built many castles all around the English countryside, these were used like hunting lodges as housing and rest stops. The name is today a derivitive of RADCLIFF, which is a very prominate name in Great Britain. Now Ratliff, Radcliff, and Ratcliff weren't the only names of Anglo-Norman origin, there were of course many others. But the Ratliff name is a heritage of rich and exciting history. If you are a Ratliff, your ancesters were great and powerful people and you can be proud of your family name. There are many famous people named Ratliff today, just do a search for Ratliff in your browser bar and take a look. If you are looking for your ancient relitives, then Happy Hunting.