Rockcliffe does not mean 'cliff by rocks' or 'rocky cliff' as many might think. The name means 'red cliff', implying a sandstone cliff-face. The name is from Old Norserauðr meaning "red" and Old English clif for "cliff", similar to Radcliffe in Greater Manchester.
Governance
Rockcliffe is the largest parish in the electoral ward of Longtown & Rockcliffe. The ward covers the two parishes and the area in between. The total ward population at the 2011 Census was 4,123.