Pronunciation: [bˈɑːkle͡ɪ] (IPA) 
The word "Barclay" is spelled with a "b" and a "c" instead of "berkley" because of the origin of the name. "Barclay" is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "Bearnard MacBiadhtach," and the Scottish pronunciation of "berkley" would be closer to "baerklay." The IPA phonetic transcription of "Barclay" would be /ˈbɑːrkli/. It is important to understand the etymology of words to accurately spell and pronounce them.
Barclay is a proper noun commonly used as a surname and a given name. As a surname, it is derived from the Scottish or Irish Gaelic word "Barrcléire," which means "the clerk of the court" or "bailiff." This suggests that its origins lie in a profession related to legal proceedings or administration.
Historically, the name Barclay is associated with prominent Scottish families and clans, such as the Clan Barclay in Aberdeenshire. Over time, it has spread beyond Scotland and is now found worldwide, particularly in English-speaking countries.
As a given name, Barclay is less common but still used, mainly as a masculine name. It can be seen as a variant of Berkeley, a name of English origin, meaning "birch tree meadow." The name Barclay can also be considered a variation of Berkeley with a distinct spelling.
In addition to its use as a surname and given name, Barclay is also a recognized name in various fields, including business and finance. For example, Barclay Bank is a well-known multinational banking and financial services company, founded in London in 1690.
Overall, Barclay is a versatile name with roots in Scotland and Ireland, both as a surname and a given name. It carries connotations of legal or administrative roles and is used in a variety of contexts, from personal names to businesses.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "Barclay" is of Scottish origin and is associated with the Barclay clan, which was a prominent Scottish family during the Middle Ages. The surname is derived from the personal name "Berkeley" or "Berkley", which itself has Old English and Old Norse roots. The name "Berkeley" is composed of the elements "bearu", meaning "wood" or "grove", and "leah", meaning "meadow" or "clearing". Over time, this name evolved and variations such as "Berkeley", "Barkley", and eventually "Barclay" emerged. Today, "Barclay" is primarily a surname.
