Barkley
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- BARK-lee
- Origin
- English
Barkley is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “birch clearing”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Barkley mean?
English: variant of Barclay and Berkeley
“birch clearing”
Variant of Barclay, itself a form of the English place name Berkeley, from Old English words for birch and clearing.
Is Barkley a girl's or a boy's name?
Barkley is a boys' name.
How popular is Barkley in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2015, with 23 boys.
Half of all the boys named Barkley in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Barkley in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 | #4,335 |
| 2022 | 5 | #3,639 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 2019 | 1 | #6,258 |
| 2018 | 6 | #3,162 |
| 2017 | 13 | #1,922 |
| 2016 | 10 | #2,287 |
| 2015 | 23 | #1,237 |
| 2014 | 22 | #1,260 |
| 2013 | 5 | #3,466 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 4 | #3,748 |
Names like Barkley
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Sidney Brody Stanley Covey Bradley Riley Casey Conan Kody Brogan Barney Oscar
Names related to Barkley
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Barkley: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/barkley, updated 20 October 2026.