Bailey Unisex

Popularity: #200 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: BAY-lee //ˈbeɪli//

Origin: English; Irish

Meaning: English: bailiff; Irish: from the meadow

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Bailey has its roots in the Old French term "bailli," which means "bailiff" or "steward." This term was derived from the Latin word "bajulus," meaning "carrier" or "porter." The name entered the English language during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when many Old French terms were adopted into English, particularly in legal and administrative contexts. As a surname, Bailey was commonly used to denote someone who held the position of a bailiff or steward, eventually evolving into a given name by the 19th century.

Historically, the name Bailey has been associated with various notable figures and events. In medieval England, individuals with the surname Bailey often held positions of authority, which contributed to the name's association with responsibility and leadership.

The name appears in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was used to denote landholders and officials. Over the centuries, Bailey has been borne by several notable individuals, including saints and local leaders, which further solidified its standing in English-speaking cultures.

Culturally, the name Bailey has resonated with themes of stewardship and guardianship, reflecting its etymological roots. It has been used in literature and popular culture to evoke a sense of reliability and trustworthiness.

The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Bay, which have been used affectionately in familial contexts. Overall, Bailey's historical significance and its associations with authority and care have contributed to its enduring presence in the English lexicon.

Famous people named Bailey

In this section, you will find notable people named Bailey. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Bailey who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Bailey who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Bailey Sarian is a makeup artist and YouTuber best known for her Murder, Mystery & Makeup series.

Bailey Wright is a professional footballer best known for playing as a defender for Sunderland and the Australian national team.

Bailey Chase is an actor best known for his roles in Saving Grace, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Longmire.

Bailey Zimmerman is a country music singer best known for his songs Fall in Love and Rock and A Hard Place.

Fictional characters named Bailey

The following list of fictional characters named Bailey is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Bailey is a fictional character from the novel and film A Dog's Purpose. He is a loyal dog who reincarnates through several lives, each time helping his owners find happiness.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Bailey, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MadisonAveryTaylorJordanSydneyMorgan

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Bailey. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

KaitlynHaileyRileyMileyKayleeBaileeShelbyBrianna

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Bailey was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Bailey has ranked as high as #92 nationally, which occurred in 1998, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Florida, and Georgia.

In the past 5 years the name Bailey has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Bailey is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Bailey was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Bailey.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,584 138 1,446
2024 1,807 155 1,652
2023 1,834 151 1,683
2022 1,768 119 1,649
2021 1,894 119 1,775
2020 1,763 93 1,670
2019 1,939 120 1,819
2018 2,309 128 2,181
2017 2,577 144 2,433
2016 2,822 110 2,712
2015 2,964 111 2,853
2014 3,086 135 2,951
2013 3,143 124 3,019
2012 3,539 121 3,418
2011 3,486 168 3,318
2010 3,794 196 3,598
2009 3,862 219 3,643
2008 4,184 277 3,907
2007 4,289 355 3,934
2006 3,346 366 2,980
2005 3,468 477 2,991
2004 3,908 599 3,309
2003 4,226 759 3,467
2002 4,513 851 3,662
2001 5,573 1,234 4,339
2000 6,404 1,755 4,649
1999 7,017 2,208 4,809
1998 7,437 2,239 5,198
1997 7,320 2,296 5,024
1996 5,742 1,550 4,192
1995 4,498 1,010 3,488
1994 2,539 188 2,351
1993 2,263 129 2,134
1992 1,849 119 1,730
1991 1,535 100 1,435
1990 1,347 87 1,260
1989 1,139 88 1,051
1988 1,019 77 942
1987 676 65 611
1986 541 41 500
1985 348 39 309
1984 307 40 267
1983 182 30 152
1982 151 41 110
1981 110 26 84
1980 86 30 56
1979 36 19 17
1978 22 16 6
1977 18 18 0
1976 15 15 0
1975 18 13 5
1974 16 16 0
1973 18 18 0
1972 15 15 0
1971 19 19 0
1970 20 20 0
1969 26 26 0
1968 13 13 0
1967 26 26 0
1966 22 22 0
1965 15 15 0
1964 23 23 0
1963 22 22 0
1962 21 21 0
1961 14 14 0
1960 15 15 0
1959 28 28 0
1958 21 21 0
1957 31 31 0
1956 32 27 5
1955 28 28 0
1954 29 29 0
1953 25 25 0
1952 34 34 0
1951 29 29 0
1950 35 35 0
1949 30 30 0
1948 27 27 0
1947 28 28 0
1946 31 31 0
1945 31 31 0
1944 32 32 0
1943 27 27 0
1942 31 31 0
1941 33 33 0
1940 31 31 0
1939 38 38 0
1938 34 34 0
1937 41 41 0
1936 34 34 0
1935 37 37 0
1934 30 30 0
1933 35 35 0
1932 41 41 0
1931 35 35 0
1930 42 42 0
1929 35 35 0
1928 45 45 0
1927 36 36 0
1926 32 32 0
1925 36 30 6
1924 44 44 0
1923 33 33 0
1922 39 39 0
1921 48 48 0
1920 48 48 0
1919 36 36 0
1918 37 37 0
1917 33 33 0
1916 56 50 6
1915 34 34 0
1914 34 34 0
1913 24 24 0
1912 26 26 0
1911 11 11 0
1910 10 10 0
1909 9 9 0
1908 7 7 0
1907 14 14 0
1906 15 15 0
1905 10 10 0
1904 10 10 0
1903 5 5 0
1902 10 10 0
1901 12 12 0
1900 19 19 0
1899 11 11 0
1898 14 14 0
1897 13 13 0
1896 8 8 0
1895 10 10 0
1894 11 11 0
1893 16 16 0
1892 10 10 0
1891 10 10 0
1890 13 13 0
1889 10 10 0
1888 6 6 0
1887 6 6 0
1886 7 7 0
1885 7 7 0
1884 6 6 0
1883 8 8 0
1882 8 8 0
1881 8 8 0
1880 12 12 0

Top States for Bailey (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 156
9%
TX 142
8%
FL 92
5%
NY 89
5%
GA 82
5%
OH 80
5%
NC 71
4%
MI 69
4%
PA 68
4%
VA 66
4%
TN 51
3%
CO 41
2%
MO 39
2%
SC 39
2%
IN 38
2%
MD 38
2%
MA 36
2%
NJ 36
2%
KY 36
2%
IL 35
2%
AL 34
2%
WI 33
2%
AZ 29
2%
LA 29
2%
WA 27
2%
MS 25
1%
MN 22
1%
CT 19
1%
KS 18
1%
NH 17
1%
WV 16
1%
OR 16
1%
AR 14
1%
NE 13
1%
SD 12
1%
OK 11
1%
ME 10
1%
UT 10
1%
NM 9
1%
ND 9
1%
NV 9
1%
HI 8
0%
IA 8
0%
ID 7
0%
AK 6
0%
MT 6
0%
DC 6
0%
DE 5
0%