Show ContentsBarratclough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Barratclough

What does the name Barratclough mean?

The name Barratclough is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in West Yorkshire at Bareclough or Barneclogh, spellings used in the 14th century. Later known as Barraclough, records of the village or parish seem to be lost. 1

Early Origins of the Barratclough family

The surname Barratclough was first found in West Yorkshire, where the first records of the family were found in 1315 and 1316. Peter del Baricloughe, de Barneclogh was listed there at that time. Much later, Robert Bereclough was listed in Yorkshire in 1493. 2 This latter source believes the place of origin was near Wakefield.

Early History of the Barratclough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barratclough research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1588, 1608, 1612, 1626, 1631, 1690 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Barratclough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barratclough Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Barratclough are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Barratclough include: Barraclough, Burraclough, Baraclough, Baracluff, Barrowclough, Barnaclough, Berecloth, Berrycloth, Baricloughe, Bereclough, Barrayclught, Beraclough, Barraclue, Baroclough, Barracliff and many more.

Early Notables of the Barratclough family

More information is included under the topic Early Barratclough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barratclough family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Barratclough or a variant listed above: Thomas Barraclough, who sailed to New York in 1823; Abel Barraclough, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1864; J. Barraclaugh, who was recorded in Brant County, Ontario in 1875.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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