Show ContentsBartley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland spawned the name Bartley. It is derived from the ancient and popular given name Bartholomew. Bartholomew, a widespread personal name in medieval England at the time.

Early Origins of the Bartley family

The surname Bartley was first found in at Strathdon, in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, and were descended from Parlan and the son of Parlan whose name became Farlane and Bartley, at the time when it was undesirable to continue a name beginning with Mac.

Early History of the Bartley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bartley research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1500 is included under the topic Early Bartley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bartley Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Bartley has appeared as Bartley, Bartlie, Barteley, Bartely, Bartelie, Bartlie and many more.

Early Notables of the Bartley family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Bartley of Aberdeenshire

Bartley Ranking

In the United States, the name Bartley is the 1,854th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Bartley family to Ireland

Some of the Bartley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Bartley migration to the United States +

Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Bartley were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:

Bartley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Bartley, who settled in Virginia in 1634
  • John Bartley, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 2
  • Nicholas Bartley, who landed in Maryland in 1661 2
  • Sarah Bartley, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 2
  • George Bartley, who settled in Nevis in 1663
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bartley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Bartley who settled in Maryland in 1739
  • James Bartley, who landed in Maryland in 1740 2
  • Hugh Bartley, who arrived in Virginia in 1776 2
  • Robert Bartley, who landed in America in 1790 2
Bartley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Bartley, aged 45, who landed in New York in 1812 2
  • William Bartley, aged 52, who landed in New York in 1812 2
  • John Bartley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1875 2
  • Mr. William Bartley, (b. 1868), aged 19, Cornish miner departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Baltic" arriving in New York, USA on 13 June 1887 3

Bartley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bartley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Esayas Bartley U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
  • Mr. Isaiah Bartley U.E. (b. 1740) born in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh, Cataraqui township, [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1783 member of the Kings Royal Regiment of New York, married Eleanor Campbell in 1760 they had 9 children, he died in Frontenac, Ontario in 1825 4
  • Mr. Michael Bartley U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh, Cataraqui township, [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1783 4
  • John Bartley, who arrived in Quebec in 1784
Bartley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Catherine Bartley, aged who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Virgilia" departing 22nd July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 20th September 1847 but she died on board 5

Bartley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bartley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Bartley, (b. 1813), aged 25, Irish Soldier who was convicted in Ireland for life for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Margaret Bartley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839 7
  • Margaret Bartley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 8
  • William Bartley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 8
  • Sarah Bartley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bartley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bartley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas H.R. Bartley, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1858 9
  • Miss Amy Bartley, (b. 1842), aged 16, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th March 1859 9
  • Miss Sophia Bartley, (b. 1841), aged 33, Cornish milliner departing on 22nd July 1874 aboard the ship "Chile" going to Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand arriving in port on 26th October 1876 10
  • J. Bartley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1874
  • Sophia Bartley, aged 33, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bartley (post 1700) +

  • Robert Leroy Bartley (1937-2003), American editor of the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal for more than 30 years who won a Pulitzer Prize for opinion writing and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • David Michael Bartley (1935-2023), American politician and educator who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1963 to 1975, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1969 to 1975, Secretary of Administration and Finance from 1981 to 1983, and President of Holyoke Community College from 1975 to 2004
  • Captain William Bartley (1916-2011), American World War II pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen
  • Boyd Owen Bartley (b. 1920), American former Major League Baseball player
  • John "Jon" Stanley Bartley, American Emmy Award-winning cinematographer
  • William Warren "W.W." Bartley III (1934-1990), American philosopher
  • Merle F. Bartley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 30th District, 1954 11
  • Maynard M. Bartley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Minnesota State Treasurer, 1934 11
  • Laura Diane Bartley, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates, 2010 (41st District), 2012 (48th District) 11
  • Larry Bartley, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Hawaii 2nd District, 1994 11
  • ... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Archibald E T Bartley (b. 1900), English Signal Boatswain serving for the Royal Navy from North Kilworth, Leicestershire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 12
RMS Lusitania
  • Mrs. Ellen Bartley, Canadian 3rd Class passenger from Welland, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13
  • Mr. George Noble Bartley, Canadian 3rd Class passenger from Welland, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13
  • Master Gordon Bartley, Canadian 3rd Class passenger from Welland, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13
  • Master Arthur Bartley, Canadian 3rd Class passenger from Welland, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 65)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Hooghly.htm
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Lysander.htm
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  12. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  13. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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