NameCensus.

UK surname

Barclay

From the birch tree meadow or a person who lived near such a place.

In the 1881 census there were 6,170 people recorded with the Barclay surname, ranking it #705 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,113, ranked #718, down from #705 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbirnie, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Downfield and St Monans and Pittenweem.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barclay is 9,228 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.7%.

1881 census count

6,170

Ranked #705

Modern count

9,113

2016, ranked #718

Peak year

2010

9,228 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barclay had 6,170 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #705 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,113 in 2016, ranked #718.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,513 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Barclay surname distribution map

The map shows where the Barclay surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Barclay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barclay over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3,820 #742
1861 historical 4,264 #662
1881 historical 6,170 #705
1891 historical 6,434 #712
1901 historical 7,513 #718
1911 historical 2,055 #2,428
1997 modern 8,610 #730
1998 modern 8,974 #730
1999 modern 8,991 #736
2000 modern 8,834 #747
2001 modern 8,568 #753
2002 modern 8,795 #746
2003 modern 8,667 #742
2004 modern 8,791 #732
2005 modern 8,756 #725
2006 modern 8,722 #730
2007 modern 8,779 #733
2008 modern 8,805 #735
2009 modern 9,044 #729
2010 modern 9,228 #732
2011 modern 9,038 #737
2012 modern 8,972 #725
2013 modern 9,036 #733
2014 modern 9,133 #729
2015 modern 9,076 #725
2016 modern 9,113 #718

Geography

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Where Barclays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilbirnie, Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Downfield, St Monans and Pittenweem, Huntly and Danestone. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kilbirnie Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
2 Downfield Dundee City
3 St Monans and Pittenweem Fife
4 Huntly Aberdeenshire
5 Danestone Aberdeen City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barclay

These lists show first names that appear often with the Barclay surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barclay

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barclay, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Barclay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Barclay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Barclay is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Barclay is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barclay falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Barclay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Barclay, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barclay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barclay surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,109 Barclays recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.70x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,109 5.70x
Aberdeenshire 642 11.53x
Fife 548 15.40x
Ayrshire 455 10.11x
Midlothian 425 5.28x
Angus 337 6.05x
Renfrewshire 275 5.90x
Middlesex 252 0.42x
Banffshire 233 18.68x
Lancashire 217 0.30x
Perthshire 124 4.60x
Surrey 106 0.36x
Durham 82 0.46x
Yorkshire 71 0.12x
Northumberland 69 0.77x
Stirlingshire 67 3.02x
Kincardineshire 66 9.02x
Kent 60 0.29x
Cumberland 56 1.08x
Essex 56 0.47x
Dunbartonshire 55 3.40x
West Lothian 51 5.63x
Cheshire 50 0.38x
Kinross-shire 50 32.90x
Shropshire 41 0.79x
Hampshire 39 0.32x
Kirkcudbrightshire 38 4.37x
Morayshire 38 4.07x
Staffordshire 32 0.16x
Inverness-shire 30 1.67x
Shetland 29 4.72x
Devon 28 0.22x
Argyllshire 27 1.61x
Glamorgan 26 0.25x
Clackmannanshire 24 4.83x
Berwickshire 22 3.02x
Warwickshire 21 0.14x
Ross-shire 20 1.21x
Sussex 20 0.20x
Gloucestershire 19 0.16x
Roxburghshire 17 1.56x
Wigtownshire 16 2.00x
Sutherland 15 3.24x
Worcestershire 15 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 14 1.05x
Flintshire 14 0.87x
Westmorland 14 1.06x
Buteshire 13 3.57x
Northamptonshire 13 0.23x
Hertfordshire 12 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.28x
Derbyshire 9 0.10x
East Lothian 9 1.13x
Leicestershire 9 0.14x
Caithness 8 0.97x
Berkshire 7 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.37x
Denbighshire 6 0.26x
Norfolk 6 0.06x
Royal Navy 6 0.84x
Selkirkshire 6 1.10x
Cardiganshire 5 0.34x
Suffolk 4 0.05x
Cornwall 3 0.04x
Monmouthshire 3 0.07x
Nairnshire 3 1.63x
Oxfordshire 3 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.03x
Herefordshire 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.01x
Orkney 1 0.15x
Peeblesshire 1 0.35x
Somerset 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 309 Barclays recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.28x.

Place Total Index
Barony 309 6.28x
Govan 298 6.20x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 190 5.86x
Glasgow 190 5.50x
Kilbirnie 134 124.03x
Dundee 104 5.00x
Dysart 78 32.54x
Kilmarnock 72 13.45x
Aberdeen Old Machar 69 5.94x
South Leith 69 7.61x
Dunfermline 65 11.88x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 60 5.76x
Banff 60 55.40x
Leslie 60 66.58x
Peterhead 60 20.38x
Old Monkland 55 7.13x
Montrose 54 16.00x
Abbey 53 7.46x
Shotts 48 20.63x
East Greenock 47 10.68x
Liff Benvie 47 5.56x
West Greenock 47 5.62x
Fraserburgh 46 29.35x
Stewarton 39 43.81x
West Ham 39 1.49x
Huntly 36 39.74x
Toxteth Park 35 1.45x
Aberdour 34 77.50x
Auchterderran 34 38.00x
Keith 34 25.58x
Hackney London 33 0.98x
Uphall 33 33.15x
St Ninians 32 14.56x
Fordyce 31 34.55x
Kilrenny 31 47.09x
Perth East Church 31 12.19x
Bishopwearmouth 29 1.89x
Inverness 29 6.42x
Markinch 28 23.18x
Kilwinning 27 18.58x
Abbotshall 26 19.55x
Ardrossan 26 16.69x
Maryhill 26 6.83x
Port Glasgow 26 11.54x
Avondale 25 21.99x
Bothwell 25 4.74x
Islington London 25 0.43x
King Edward 25 38.96x
Paisley Middle Church 25 9.22x
Cruden 23 32.08x
Falkland 23 41.09x
North Leith 23 6.17x
Perth West Church 23 17.96x
Brechin 22 10.05x
Cupar 22 14.21x
Auchterless 21 47.51x
Bethnal Green London 21 0.80x
Peterculter 21 53.45x
Turriff 21 23.37x
Craig 20 37.18x
Forfar 20 6.63x
Kirkdale 20 1.67x
Beith 19 14.15x
Manchester 19 0.59x
Meldrum 19 40.51x
St George Hanover Square 19 1.79x
Alloa 18 7.48x
Alvah 18 64.08x
Dalry 18 8.50x
New Monkland 18 3.13x
Old Deer 18 17.06x
Rathven 18 7.68x
Bonhill 17 6.56x
Errol 17 34.01x
Everton 17 0.75x
Kensington London 17 0.51x
Orwell 17 40.57x
Paisley High Church 17 4.58x
St Quivox 17 11.18x
Carluke 16 9.06x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Barclay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 90
Elizabeth 36
Sarah 36
Jane 35
Ellen 27
Margaret 26
Ann 25
Annie 20
Isabella 20
Emily 19
Eliza 16
Emma 15
Florence 15
Agnes 14
Catherine 14
Jessie 13
Esther 12
Edith 11
Hannah 11
Alice 10
Frances 9
Harriet 7
Janet 7
Maria 7
Martha 7
Amelia 6
Helen 6
Louisa 6
Amy 5
Charlotte 5
Clara 5
Grace 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Caroline 4
Catharine 4
Christina 4
Elizth. 4
Isabel 4
Rose 4
Beatrice 3
Bertha 3
Ethel 3
Fanny 3
Gertrude 3
Julia 3
Katherine 3
Mabel 3
Margret 3
Rachel 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Barclay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 92
William 64
James 50
Robert 45
Thomas 42
George 40
Henry 31
Alexander 26
Charles 22
David 20
Joseph 16
Edward 15
Frederick 12
Andrew 9
Arthur 8
Hugh 8
Richard 7
Walter 7
Francis 6
Alfred 5
Thos. 5
Albert 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Harry 4
Wm. 4
Archibald 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Herbert 3
Theodore 3
Abraham 2
Cecil 2
Daniel 2
Davidson 2
Edwin 2
Fergusson 2
Harold 2
Isaac 2
J. 2
Jas. 2
Martin 2
Patrick 2
Sidney 2
Tom 2
Wilfred 2
Chales 1
Earnest 1
Edwyn 1
Eric 1

FAQ

Barclay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barclay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,170 people were recorded with the Barclay surname. That placed it at #705 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barclay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,113 in 2016. That gives Barclay a modern rank of #718.

What does the Barclay surname mean?

From the birch tree meadow or a person who lived near such a place.

What does the Barclay map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Barclay bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.