Surname Barley - Meaning and Origin
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Barley: What does the surname Barley mean?
The last name Barley is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational surname, derived from the Old English word Bearu, which means "grove" or "meadow." This likely indicates that the original bearer of the name's residence was an area that had been cleared near a grove. The Barley surname is also associated with the Anglo-Saxon god of vegetation, Beorc, and may have also been given to people who were originally part of a clan devoted to this god.
The Barley surname is most common in England and Scotland, and can be traced to the 12th century. Barley is also seen as a Jewish surname, especially in the Ashkenazim culture. The origin of this surname for the Jewish population may have come from the Polish word “barylka,” which means "bullet." It is believed that Jews adopted this name due to their military occupation in Poland until the 19th century.
The Barley surname is now found in many countries throughout the world. Thanks to its wide geographical spread, it may have been adopted by people from many cultures, including those of Scottish, French, or even Viking descent.
Overall, the Barley surname has a long history, and could have a variety of origins and meanings. It is likely that the original bearers of the name found their home in an area near a "grove" or meadow, and even later, the Barley surname may have been adopted by those of Jewish, Scottish, French, or Viking descent.
Order DNA origin analysisBarley: Where does the name Barley come from?
The last name Barley is a fairly common surname in today's world, generally found in English-speaking countries. It is particularly common in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In the UK, the surname Barley is mostly found in Oxfordshire, where almost one in every thousand people have the surname. It is also found in the county of Somerset, and in smaller numbers in Hampshire, Dorset, Kent, Cheshire, Norfolk, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. In Scotland, it is more commonly found in the East Lothian region. The Barley surname is also found in Northern Ireland.
In the US, the most frequent concentrations of people with the Barley surname are found in Massachusetts, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia. It is also found in lesser concentrations in almost every state.
In Canada, the most frequent occurrences of the Barley surname are found in Alberta and British Columbia, although it is evenly spread across the country. In Australia, the surname is likely to be found in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. In New Zealand, the surname is found mainly in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
Overall, the surname Barley is quite common today and can be found in many countries and regions.
Variations of the surname Barley
The surname Barley is believed to be of English or Irish origin. There are a variety of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Barley. The variants include Barly, Barlie, Barlee, Barleigh, Barleye, Barlye and others. Barley is often seen spelled with a double “L” as in “Barlly” or “Barlee”.
The most common surnames related to the origin of Barley are: Berley, Barlee, Barlay, Barlee, Barlowe, Barge, Barlley, Barlin, Barrely, Berly, Berlie, And Berley.
Each of these surnames is closely related, as all are derived from the Anglo-Saxon term burh, meaning a fortified dwelling. This term later underwent slight spelling changes to become Barley, Berley, or the many other variants over time.
The Barley family held a manor in county Warwick between the 12th and 14th centuries, and were prominent landowners in the area. The center of this family was at Spetisbury and even today there are many people who trace their lineage back to the Barley family.
In Ireland, variants of Barley such as Barlow, Borley, Barely, and Berley are quite common. The name Borley is especially common due to the number of immigrants who arrived from England in the 19th century.
The Barley surname is popular around the world, from the United States to Australia and beyond. Even though the spelling has become some what varied, the origin still remains the same - a fortified dwelling in England or Ireland.
Famous people with the name Barley
- Jack Barley, former NFL Player
- John Barley, New York-based industrial designer
- John Barleycorn, a character in English folk songs
- Martin Barley, English actor
- Thomas Barley, English dramatist
- George Barley, a BBC children's presenter
- Francis Barley, a college professor and writer
- Theresa Barley, Women's National Basketball Association star
- Marie Barley, Australian scientist
- Dave Barley, English singer-songwriter