Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
The majority of living BARLINGs can be traced back to Kent, England, to families that used that surname before 1500. However, it is now clear that there are other, probably quite separate origins: for example a large branch that goes back in Hampshire/Wiltshire area of England before 1600. There are also some BARLING families without an English origin: principally from Russia, Sweden & Germany.
Although there is a village called Barling in Essex, a connection with the inherited surname BARLING has not yet been found. There is some evidence that the Kent BARLING name may have originated from the village now called BARMING, near Maidstone, when members moved to the Egerton/Ulcombe area in the 1400s.
I have divided the BARLINGs into these major branches based on places with which each were strongly associated:
Main locations: Kent; Hampshire;USA; Germany; Russia, Sweden
English BARLING families from before 1700 are from Kent or Hampshire
BARLING is a fairly rare surname with only a small number of currently unlinked "branches". Moreover, most of those "branches" have origins in England, and in particular in a very specific part of Kent.
A key question we have been trying to answer is which BARLING branches indeed share a common direct male-line ancestor. This can now be answered through a simple DNA test.
The DNA test also gives indications as to the earlier, i.e. prehistoric, geographical origins of direct male-line ancestors.
Data has been obtained showing that the 'Romsey' branch from Hants/Wilts is not related in the genealogical time period with the 'Egerton' branch from Kent. Volunteer testers from other branches are urgently required.
More details are here: BARLING DNA STUDY
and results so far are here: DNA results