Bartly
A diminutive form of the masculine name Bartholomew, derived from Aramaic meaning "son of the furrows" or "son of the ploughman".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Bartly. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bartly today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bartly births was 1968 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bartly. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bartly. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1968
5 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1968 SSA rank
#4,182
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Bartly: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bartly by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bartly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bartly
The given name Bartly is a unique name with an intriguing history that can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon language, which was spoken in parts of Britain from the 5th to the 12th centuries. The name is thought to be a combination of two Old English words: "bearu" meaning grove or forest, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. Together, these words form the meaning "a clearing in the forest," which may have been used to describe a homestead or settlement location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bartly can be found in the Domesday Book, a remarkable survey of landholdings and wealth across England and parts of Wales, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical document, there is a reference to a landowner named Bartly who held estates in the county of Berkshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Bartly appeared sporadically in various records and chronicles. For instance, a Bartly de Warwick was mentioned as a knight who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade in the late 12th century. Additionally, a Bartly of Lincolnshire was recorded as a prominent merchant and landowner in the 14th century, indicating the name's association with both nobility and the mercantile class during that era.
As time progressed, the name Bartly evolved in its spelling and usage. In the 16th century, a renowned English poet and playwright by the name of Bartly Jonson gained fame for his works, including the plays "Volpone" and "The Alchemist." Jonson, who lived from 1572 to 1637, is considered one of the most influential literary figures of the Jacobean era.
Another notable figure with the name Bartly was Bartly Shilleto, a renowned English scholar and classical philologist who lived from 1808 to 1876. Shilleto made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature and was highly respected for his expertise in translating and interpreting classical texts.
In the 20th century, Bartly Ramsey, an American economist and mathematician, gained recognition for his contributions to decision theory and game theory. Born in 1926, Ramsey's work on subjective probability and decision-making under uncertainty had a profound impact on the field of economics and decision analysis.
While the name Bartly is relatively uncommon in modern times, its unique history and origins in the Anglo-Saxon language make it a fascinating subject of study for those interested in the etymology and evolution of given names.
People
Bartly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bartly as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bartly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bartly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bartly going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Bartly a common name?
We classify Bartly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bartly most popular?
The single biggest year for Bartly was 1968, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bartly is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bartly in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bartly a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bartly in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bartly still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bartly in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bartly can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Bartly as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.