Bartley
Usually a surname formed from the personal name Bartholomew, though some local-place influence has also been suggested.
The #2,175 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,500 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bartley is generally understood as a pet-form surname from Bartholomew, via the familiar short form Bartle plus the diminutive ending -ey/-ley. The name Bartholomew itself ultimately comes from a biblical Aramaic name meaning roughly “son of Talmai.” Some 19th-century writers thought Bartley might look locational, but the dictionary evidence they cite points more strongly to a personal-name origin.
History
Bardsley argues that Bartley belongs with surnames derived from Bartholomew rather than from a place-name, though he notes that it can seem local in form. Barber also records Bartley as a locational surname, associated with place-name usage in counties such as Hampshire and Worcestershire, so the name may have more than one pathway in English records. In Irish-language materials, Bartley appears as a form connected with Bartholomew and related spellings. The surname is still most commonly treated as an English patronymic or diminutive formation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley specifically says Bartley may look like a place-name surname at first glance, but he thought the better evidence tied it to Bartholomew instead.
From the historical record
“43. 0, a, J, 5. Bartley.— CO Bapt, 'the son of Bartholomew,' from the nick. Bartle and pet Bartl-ey ; cf. Charlie, Teddy, Bobbie, Sic. Although looking strongly local. I God no evidence of this. We have, on the”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances