6 1 9 ▁( as ▁of ▁ 2 0 2 0 ). ▁ ▁Top onym y ▁The ▁old ▁sp elling ▁Bar n stable ▁is ▁now ▁ob sole te , ▁but ▁is ▁retained ▁by ▁an ▁American ▁county ▁and ▁town . ▁The ▁name ▁is ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁and ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁derive ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁English ▁bear de , ▁meaning ▁" b attle - ax e ", ▁and ▁st ap ol , ▁meaning ▁" p ill ar ", ▁referring ▁to ▁a ▁post ▁or ▁pill ar ▁set ▁up ▁to ▁mark ▁a ▁religious ▁or ▁administrative ▁meeting ▁place . ▁The ▁belief ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁der ives ▁from ▁st ap le ▁meaning ▁" market ", ▁indicating ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁market ▁here ▁from ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁settlement , ▁is ▁incorrect , ▁because ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁st ap le ▁in ▁that ▁sense ▁is ▁not ▁recorded ▁in ▁England ▁before ▁ 1 4 2 3 . ▁ ▁Bar n st ap le ▁was ▁formerly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" Bar um ", ▁from ▁a ▁contra ction ▁of ▁the ▁Latin ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁( ad ▁Bar n ast ap olit um ) ▁in ▁Latin ▁documents ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁epis cop al ▁registers ▁of ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Ex eter . ▁Bar um ▁was ▁mentioned ▁by ▁Shakespeare , ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁rev ived ▁and ▁popular ised ▁in ▁Victor ian ▁times , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁featured ▁in ▁several ▁contemporary ▁nov els . ▁The ▁name ▁Bar um ▁is ▁retained ▁in ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁a ▁football ▁team , ▁bre