Bailey
An occupational surname for a bailiff, and a topographic one for a castle’s outer wall.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Bailey appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 16 different years between 1995 and 2012. Its biggest year was 1998, when 5,198 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 60 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 208 for girls. The name has also seen real use for boys: 21,738 of the 132,544 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Baylee (22,403), Bailee (16,483), Bayleigh (5,190), Baylie (3,498), Bayley (2,656), Baileigh (2,545) (total births since 1880)
Explore Bailey interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 | No. 3919 |
| 1920s | 6 | No. 4426 |
| 1950s | 5 | No. 5952 |
| 1970s | 28 | No. 4231 |
| 1980s | 4,082 | No. 257 |
| 1990s | 31,621 | No. 60 |
| 2000s | 36,881 | No. 68 |
| 2010s | 28,302 | No. 78 |
| 2020s | 9,875 | No. 162 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.