Burley
A place-based surname from several English villages and hamlets called Burley, meaning a settlement by a fort or in a defended clearing.
The #4,149 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,144 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Burley is an English locational surname. It comes from place-names spelled Burley or Burleigh in several parts of England; the place-name is generally understood as Old English elements meaning either “fort” or “stronghold” plus “woodland clearing” or “meadow.” In other words, the name originally identified someone who came from a place called Burley.
History
Medieval records show early spellings such as de Berley and de Berlay, confirming its use as a surname of origin. The spelling Burley has long existed alongside Burleigh, and the two were often used interchangeably in older sources. The surname later spread beyond England, including to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some 19th-century surname books treated Burley and Burleigh as interchangeable forms, reflecting how loosely many English locational surnames were spelled before standardization.
From the historical record
“two townships co. Durham. BURLEY. SeeLEGG. BURLINGAME. A U. S. name ; from Burlingham, name of three parishes in Norfolk. But see WALKINGHAME. BURY. From Bury, name of parishes, towns, &c., cos. Hants, Lancaster, Suffolk, Sussex. But see BORROW. BUSS. Lower says that in the south of England this is a common…”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames