(origin: Sax. Local) A corruption of Berkeley; a town in Gloucestershire, England, derived from the Saxon beorce, a beech-tree, and leagh or ley, a field, and so called because of the plenty of beech-trees growing there.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

BARCLAY. We find a Theobald de Berlceley, probabi}' an offshoot of the English family, settled in Scotland, so early as temp. David I. Fourth in descent from him Avas Alex, de B., who married the heiress of Mathers, and wrote himself De Berkeley of Slathers. His great grandjou Alex, clianged the spelling to Barclay in the XV. century. Geneal. Ace. of Barclays of Ury.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.