Scalf
A surname probably from a nickname or local place-name, with roots in northern English dialect forms related to a ledge, shelf, or rocky bank.
The #9,473 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,935 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Scalf is likely an English surname built from a northern dialect word such as scalf or shelf-like forms ultimately connected with Old Norse imagery for a ledge, shelf, or rough bank. In surname use, it would most naturally have begun as a topographic nickname for someone who lived by such a feature, or less securely as a descriptive byname. Because the name is rare and sparsely documented, the exact pathway is not certain.
History
The surname appears to be uncommon and is concentrated in English-speaking countries, especially the United States. Like many short surnames of northern English type, it may reflect medieval local naming that later became fixed as a hereditary family name. Modern bearers are likely descended from a small number of original families rather than from a broad occupational surname tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Its sound and spelling are close to several older dialect and place-name forms, which makes it easy to mistake for a nickname when it may originally have referred to a landscape feature.