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

Bardley, 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 Bardley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bardley in America

Bardley is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bardley surname appeared 121 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bardley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bardley 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 Bardley

The surname Bardley is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, likely a combination of the Old English words "bær" (bear) and "leah" (meadow or clearing), suggesting a connection to a location where bears once roamed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bardley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated around 1170, where a certain Robert de Bardley is mentioned. This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence during the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Bardley surname appeared in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1220, where a William de Bardley was listed. This roll was a record of legal proceedings held before the King's Court, lending further credibility to the surname's longevity.

The Bardley name was also present in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a collection of legal documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1305, a John de Bardley was recorded as a party in a land transaction, indicating the family's involvement in property ownership during that era.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Bardley include:

1. Sir Richard Bardley (1515-1587), a prominent English statesman and lawyer who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Margaret Bardley (1640-1712), a renowned English writer and poet whose works were widely acclaimed during the 17th century.
3. John Bardley (1708-1782), a celebrated English architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings, including the famous St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
4. Elizabeth Bardley (1825-1897), a pioneering British educator who founded the Bardley School for Girls, one of the first institutions to offer higher education for women in the country.
5. William Bardley (1880-1952), a respected English explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to the Amazon rainforest, contributing significantly to the study of its flora and fauna.

While the surname Bardley may have evolved slightly in spelling over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely associated with a specific geographic location named after the presence of bears in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bardley

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

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 Bardley 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 Bardley 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 Bardley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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