Barley
Usually a locational surname, originally meaning someone from a place called Barley or a related parish name.
The #7,054 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,081 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as a habitational name from Barley in Hertfordshire, with some evidence for related local origins in Yorkshire as well. The place-name itself is usually connected with Old English elements meaning a barley field or a clearing where barley was grown, though the exact formation can vary by locality. In a few cases, earlier forms may also reflect spellings influenced by nearby place-names such as Barlow.
History
19th-century surname writers such as Bardsley treated Barley as chiefly a southern English locational surname, especially from the Hertfordshire parish near Barkway. Historical spellings appear in medieval records, showing the name in use by the 13th century. The surname remains relatively uncommon in the United States today and is still most plausibly tied to English place-origin in most families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same word family appears in the old nickname Sir John Barleycorn, a personification of barley grain in English tradition.
From the historical record
“BARKLEY. See Barclay. BARLEY. Parishes and places in cos. Hertford and Yorlv. BARLEYIMAN. In Scotland, one Avho assists at the BuiiaAv or Barley courts, assemblies held in iiu'al districts to de- termine on local concerns. Jamieson. BARLICORN. Sir John Barleycorn, It seems, Avas no mythical personage, but a living…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom