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Bailey Name Meaning, Origins & History

Bailey

Pronunciation: BAY-lee

Meaning Bailiff, law enforcer Origin surnames Gender Unisex
GIRLS RANK
#209
TREND
27
BOYS RANK
#1,358
TREND
92
Peak Years
1998, 1997, 1999
Lowest Years
1956, 1975, 1925
Energy Archetype
Emotional & Intuitive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Bailey in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Bailey

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Bailey appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 16 years. Its last run lasted 6 consecutive years, from 2007 through 2012.
  • More than 132 thousand babies named Bailey: U.S. records list 132,531 babies given the name Bailey from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 21,741 boys received the name Bailey - about 1 boy for every 5 girls.

What Does the Name Bailey Mean?

Bailey is an English name meaning "bailiff" or "steward," and it began as a surname rather than a personal name. It comes from Middle English baili, borrowed from Old French bailli (also written baillis), the term for an official who managed an estate, collected rents, or carried out local legal duties. The French word traces to the verb baillier, "to govern, to deliver," and ultimately to Latin baiulus, a porter or carrier - a sense that shifted toward "one who handles affairs."

A second source is the castle bailey, the walled courtyard lying below a fortress keep. That word comes from Old French baille, "palisade" or "enclosure," whose further origin is uncertain. A family living by a castle bailey could be named for the place instead of the office, so the surname rests on either occupation or location depending on the family.

Bailey Name History & Origins

The surname appears in medieval England, where bynames taken from occupations became fixed family names between roughly the 12th and 14th centuries. A man serving as a lord's bailiff - managing land, rents, and tenants, or acting as a local officer of the crown - could be recorded as le baili, and the byname passed to his children. The same word was borrowed into Scots as bailie, a town official or magistrate, a title still used in Scottish civic life.

Bailey's use as a first name grew from the long-standing habit, in England and later in the United States, of giving surnames as given names. It was used for boys and, increasingly in the later 20th century, for girls as well. Public examples include the singer Pearl Bailey and the fictional George Bailey, the central character of the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life; these are instances of the name in use, not its origin.

How Popular is the Name Bailey?

Bailey recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1998. Bailey ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1995 through 2004, then returned in 2007 and remained through 2012.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Bailey

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Past Favorite Girl Names

Past Favorite Girl Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Bailey Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.

✦ Bailey's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bailey's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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