Barclay
A surname most often derived from Berkeley, the place name meaning ‘birch wood’ or ‘birch clearing.’
The #3,115 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,690 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Barclay is generally understood as a variant of Berkeley, the name of an English place in Gloucestershire. The place name is usually explained from Old English roots meaning ‘birch’ and ‘wood’ or ‘clearing.’ In medieval records the surname appears with spellings such as Berkeley and later Barclay, showing a gradual shift in pronunciation and spelling.
History
The name was carried to Scotland by an early Berkeley family, and later Scottish bearers adopted the Barclay spelling. Lower specifically notes a Theobald de Berkeley in the time of David I and says a later descendant changed the spelling to Barclay in the 15th century. The surname became established in Scotland and then spread more widely, including to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A famous Scottish branch of the family styled itself ‘of Ury,’ and the Barclay spelling became especially associated with that line.
From the historical record
“Avhere it is used as a bajitismal name. BARCLAY. We find a Theobald de Berlceley, probabi}' an offshoot of the Eng- lish family, settled in Scotland, so early as temp. David I. Fourth in descent from him Avas Alex, de B., who married the heiress of Mathers, and wrote himself De Berkeley of Slathers. His great…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Barclay
- Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly (1761–1818)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.