Find out how popular the last name Barclay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Barclay.

Barclay, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Barclay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barclay in America

Barclay is the 3115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barclay surname appeared 11,568 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Barclay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barclay to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Barclay

The surname Barclay has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "barra" meaning summit or height, and "claidh" meaning trench or ditch, suggesting a geographical descriptor for a person living near a hill with a ditch or trench.

The name Barclay first appeared in the records of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where they held territories and lands. One of the earliest records of the name is found in the Chartulary of Arbroath Abbey in 1219, where a Walter de Berkeley is mentioned.

The Barclays were a prominent Scottish family, with members holding significant positions and lands. In 1305, Sir Walter de Berclay was appointed the Great Chamberlain of Scotland by King Robert the Bruce. Another notable figure was David Barclay (1610-1686), a Scottish Divine and one of the founders of the Quaker movement.

The name Barclay can also be traced back to Normandy, France, where it was derived from the place name Berkley or Barclay. The Domesday Book of 1086 records several individuals with the surname, including Robert de Barcalevilla and Walter de Berkelai.

Moving forward in history, Robert Barclay (1648-1690) was a Scottish Quaker and theologian, best known for his work "An Apology for the True Christian Divinity." Another prominent figure was John Barclay (1582-1621), a Scottish satirist and neo-Latin poet, known for his work "Argenis."

Other notable individuals with the surname Barclay include:

1. Alexander Barclay (c. 1475-1552), a Scottish poet and priest, best known for his translation of Sebastian Brant's "The Ship of Fools."

2. Robert Barclay Allardice (1779-1854), a Scottish athlete and pedestrian, known as the "Great Walker."

3. Erskine Barclay (1825-1887), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist, who founded the Barclay Breweries in Alloa, Scotland.

4. Reverend Henry Barclay (1824-1909), a Scottish minister and author, who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

5. Derick Barclay (1904-1998), a Scottish businessman and co-founder of the Barclay Brothers business empire, which included the Telegraph Media Group and other significant holdings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barclay

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Barclay.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barclay was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Barclay has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Barclay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Barclay, please contact us.

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