Ratcliffes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Members of families sharing the English surname Ratcliffe, a name taken from places called Ratcliffe
2. Several people who all bear the surname Ratcliffe, a family name of English origin
3. Groups of relatives or individuals known by the English surname derived from a Ratcliffe place name

Etymology: "Ratcliffes" is the plural of "Ratcliffe," a surname, and so it names more than one person or family who bears that name. Ratcliffe is an English surname with roots in place names: it derives from a locality whose name combines the Old English elements that give the modern form its shape, and families took the name from the places where they lived. Because the plural simply adds an "s" to the surname, its meaning depends on context, as with any family name pluralised in English.