Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Clistune 1086 DB

• Clistona 1150 Chest

• Cliftona, Clifthona 1096–1101 Chest 1280 1163–90 ib

• Clifton 1154–89 Orm2 17 Chol c.1190

• Clifton in Halton l13 AddCh

• Clifton now Rock-Savage 1672 Orm2

• Clifton alias Rocksavage, Clifton or Rocksavage 1819 Orm2

• Cliftun 1247 Chest

• Cliftone 1295 Lacy

• Clyfton 1282 Court 1599 Earw

• Clyftona (in Haltonshire) 1310 Chest

• Cliffeton 1496 Orm2

• Clyffeton 1553 ib

• Clufton 1325 Chol

• Clefton 1534 Chol

Etymology

'Farm at a cliff', v. clif , tūn . The Clis - form is due to scribal substitution of st for ft , rather than to genitival composition. 'This town or place hath its name from the cliffs or broken rocks therein', 1666 Leycester (Orm2 i771). Cf. Rock Savage infra .