Clift

Clift is a surname of English origin and also a toponym used in various English-speaking regions. It derives from the Old English clif, meaning a cliff, bank, or steep slope, and functioned as a habitational name for someone who lived near such a feature. The variant spelling with the letters -ft rather than -ff reflects later orthographic changes; related surnames include Cliff and Cliffe.

In historical records, Clift appears in medieval England and later spread to other parts of the English-speaking world through migration and settlement. Today it is relatively uncommon in the United Kingdom and the United States, typically found among families with English ancestry.

As a placename, Clift occurs in several locations where the local geography features a cliff or steep bank. In such cases, the toponymic form may later become a surname for residents of the place.

Variants of the name include Cliffe and Cliff, and the spelling Clift is sometimes used in combination with other geographic identifiers in modern surnames.