Metcalfe Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Metcalfe last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Metcalfe coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Metcalfe last name
Meaning of the Metcalfe last name: meat calf. Metcalfe is an English surname from Wensleydale in North Yorkshire, where it was a large Dales family name. It is often explained as a nickname from Middle English mete, "meat", and calf, perhaps for a calf herder. The last name is common in Yorkshire and across the Commonwealth.
Arms associated with the Metcalfe name
Coats of arms associated with the Metcalfe last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Metcalfe family history
This is only a glimpse of the Metcalfe story. The full Metcalfe history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Metcalfe coat of arms. Get the full Metcalfe report.
Metcalfe name FAQ
What does the Metcalfe name mean?
Meat calf. Common variants include Metcalf, Medcalf.
Where does the Metcalfe surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Is there a Metcalfe coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Metcalfe coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).