Fife Last Name: Meaning and Heraldic Roots

If your family name is Fife, its origin lies with Fifer, a Scottish surname. Its meaning, shared with Fifer, is “Someone who came from Fife”. Fife is listed among the recognised spellings of Fifer. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written.

6,719 Americans were listed as Fife in the 2010 census. That is enough to place it in the top 10,000 American surnames.

Looking for a Fife coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Want more than a summary? See the Fife family name pack.