Given name & surname
Barclay
“birch tree”·“wood or clearing”
Barclay’s given-name history leads through a powerful Scottish family to a place in Gloucestershire. Its likely landscape meaning is a birch-tree wood or clearing, while Irish use supplies a separate connection with Parthalan.
Meaning & origin
What it means
The likely place-name background combines “birch tree” with “wood or clearing.” This is an explanation of the surname’s geographical origin, rather than a meaning shared by every name associated with Barclay.
Where it comes from
Barclay is generally a given-name use of the Scottish surname. That surname is probably connected with Berkeley in Gloucestershire; its Irish use as an English form of Parthalan is a separate naming route.
How it developed
Berkeley is explained through Old English beorc, “birch tree,” and lēah, “wood or clearing.” Barclay’s connection to that place is considered highly probable, although not certain.
The story
Walter de Berchelai brought the surname to Scotland in the twelfth century and became chamberlain in 1165. His descendants formed one of Scotland’s powerful families. The later adoption of Barclay as a given name probably drew on that family’s prominence.
Barclay through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 978
- 954 boys · 24 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 31 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2021. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 26 in 1970. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 798 as a first name in 2020; 11,206 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Barclay’s family of names
Barclay has a related form in Berkley. Barclay has a related form in Barkley. Barclay has a related form in Barcley.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Berkleyvariant
- Berkeleyvariant · English
- Barkleyvariant
- Barklyvariant
- Barklivariant
- Barkleahvariant
- Barkleavariant
- Barrklayvariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Barclay
- Barclay HopeCanadian actorborn 1958
- Barclay V. HeadBritish numismatist (1844-1914)
- Barclay GoodrowCanadian ice hockey playerborn 1993
- Barclay HenleyAmerican politician (1843–1914)
- Barclay ShawAmerican artist (1949-)
- Barclay WadeAustralian rower1944–2021
- Barclay PlagerCanadian ice hockey player (1941–1988)
- Barclay MartinAmerican politician (1802–1890)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Barclay, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dynell
“a man of the sea”
91% boys · 9% girls
Bradley
“from the broad field” · “from the wide meadow”
96% boys · 4% girls
Ashford
“from the ash-tree ford”
>99% boys
Wade
“to cross the river ford”
>99% boys
Dale
“from the small valley” · “from the valley”
97% boys · 3% girls
Kelvin
“a friend of ships; a man of the river”
>99% boys
Boswell
“from the spring near the forest”
>99% boys
Glade
“from the meadow in the C woods” · “from the clearing in the woods”
>99% boys