Where does “Berkeley” come from?
Berkeley derives from Old English leah combined with Proto-West Germanic berku, from Proto-Germanic berkō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lówkos and lewk-, referring to a birch tree or bright clearing.
Berkeley (English): An English barony
Definitions
- An English barony
Ancestry of “Berkeley”, step by step
Berkeley traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English lēah
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | lēah | meadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |