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Barclay Family History

Barclay Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name of English origin from any of several places so called such as Berkley in Somerset or Berkeley in Gloucestershire.

Both named in Old English with be(o)rc ‘birch’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Barclay family from?

You can see how Barclay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barclay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barclay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 346 Barclay families living in London. This was about 22% of all the recorded Barclay's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Barclay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barclay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Barclay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Barclay. 9% of Barclay men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Barclay women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barclay were Electrical Engineer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Barclay | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Joiner
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Electrical Engineer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Barclay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 155,000 census records available for the last name Barclay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barclay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Barclay

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Barclay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Barclay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Barclay. For the veterans among your Barclay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Barclay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Barclay family history

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What is the average Barclay lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Barclay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Barclay in 1943 was 49, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barclay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Barclay ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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