Olliffe

Olliffe (/ˈɒlɪf/ OL-if ; also spelt Oliff, Olliff and Oliffe) is a rare English surname of Scandinavian origin derived from the Old Norse personal name Ōleifr meaning "ancestral relic" or "heirloom". Olliffe is a version of Ōleifr that has not been gaelicised unlike the Irish and Scottish derivations such as McAuliffe and McAuley. In England, the majority of people with the surname are descended from the Buckinghamshire Olliffes, the earliest traceable ancestors of which lived in the village of Bierton, near Aylesbury, in the mid-16th century. The earlier origins of this family of Olliffes are unclear, however others in the country primarily descend from Ireland, particularly the Munster province. Certain Olliffe families immigrated from Ireland to the London area as a result of the Irish Potato Famine and others left the Ireland and Britain following colonisation settling notably in Canada and Australia.