Bailey

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Bailey

Gender: Masculine, Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Bailey is an English and Scottish surname, that originally meant “Bailiff,” usually referring to a “chief magistrate” from Middle English “bailli.” It comes from the French word “bailli” from the Latin word “baiulivus” (carrier, porter).
-or-
Bailey referred to someone who lived “near the bailey,” such as the Old Bailey in London. A “bailey” was the outer wall of a castle, or the space near the outer wall of a castle.
-or-
Bailey comes from an English surname meaning “Berry Field” from “beg” (berry) and “leah” (meadow).

History:
Bailey began life as a transferred surname in the 19th century.

Originally, it would have been bestowed upon sons as either a first or a middle name in order to honor the Bailey surname. For example, a woman named Mary Bailey who married a man named John Smith, may name her son John Bailey Smith, or merely Bailey Smith. It was especially common in the South. This custom had pretty much died out by the mid-20th century.

In recent years Bailey has been revived and has become quite popular for a girls’ name as well. This may be due to the television show WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982) which featured a female character named Bailey Quarters. This may also be due to an association with the the popular female names of Kayley and Hailey.

Pronunciation: bail-ee.

Alternates: Baylee, Bailee, Balie, Baily, Bayley.

Alternates (surnames):
French: Bayless, Bailess, Lebailly.
Italian: Baglione.
Provençal: Bailloux.
Scottish: Bailie.
Swiss: Bally.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Bailey White (f., 1950-)
American writer.

Fictional Characters:
Bailey Quarters (f., 1978)
A character on the television show WKRP in Cincinnati.

Scientists:
Bailey Willis (m., 1857-1949)
American geologist.
Bailey Kelly Ashford (m., 1873-1934)
American physician.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census, for females:
0.003 % of females named Bailey
less than 0.004% of males named Bailey

0.115 % surnamed Bailey
0.002 % surnamed Bailey
0.001 % surnamed Bailie

Popularity of Bailey, for males:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 709th most popular.
1875: 774th most popular.
1880: 526th most popular.
1881: 653rd most popular.
1882: 691st most popular.
1883: 677th most popular.
1884: 848th most popular.
1885: 766th most popular.
1886: 759th most popular.
1887: 819th most popular.
1888: 918th most popular.
1889: 629th most popular.
1890: 533rd most popular.
1891: 597th most popular.
1892: 689th most popular.
1893: 459th most popular.
1894: 631st most popular.
1895: 685th most popular.
1896: 826th most popular.
1897: 585th most popular.
1898: 574th most popular.
1899: 613th most popular.
1900: 557th most popular.
1901: 596th most popular.
1902: 744th most popular.
1903: N/A
1904: 760th most popular.
1905: 787th most popular.
1906: 612th most popular.
1907: 699th most popular.
1908-1911: N/A
1912: 877th most popular.
1913: N/A
1914: 948th most popular.
1915: N/A
1916: 887th most popular.
1917-1919: N/A
1920: 992nd most popular.
1921-1936: N/A
1937: 981st most popular.
1938-1992: N/A
1993: 978th most popular.
1994: 799th most popular.
1995: 281st most popular.
1996: 209th most popular.
1997: 159th most popular.
1998: 153rd most popular. - Peak!
1999: 168th most popular.
2000: 203rd most popular.
2001: 266th most popular.
2002: 326th most popular.
2003: 360th most popular.
2004: 432nd most popular.

Popularity of Bailey, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1960-1982: N/A
1983: 958th most popular.
1984: 652nd most popular.
1985: 614th most popular.
1986: 429th most popular.
1987: 382nd most popular.
1988: 269th most popular.
1989: 257th most popular.
1990: 234th most popular.
1991: 216th most popular.
1992: 186th most popular.
1993: 150th most popular.
1994: 142nd most popular.
1995: 99th most popular.
1996: 85th most popular.
1997: 66th most popular.
1998: 60th most popular. - Peak!
1999: 65th most popular.
2000: 68th most popular.
2001: 69th most popular.
2002: 85th most popular.
2003: 99th most popular.
2004: 99th most popular.

Popularity of Bailee:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1960-1993: N/A
1994: 938th most popular.
1995: 600th most popular.
1996: 486th most popular.
1997: 414th most popular.
1998: 411th most popular.- Peak!
1999: 431st most popular.
2000: 424th most popular.
2001: 469th most popular.
2002: 534th most popular.
2003: 616th most popular.
2004: 617th most popular.

Popularity of Baylee:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1960-1994: N/A
1995: 391st most popular.
1996: 343rd most popular.
1997: 309th most popular.
1998: 306th most popular.- Peak!
1999: 352nd most popular.
2000: 342nd most popular.
2001: 374th most popular.
2002: 409th most popular.
2003: 438th most popular.
2004: 494th most popular.

Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
A Dictionary of English Surnames, Reaney and Wilson, 1990
American Surnames, Smith, 1994

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)