Name of the Week

A friendly surname with a sturdy
medieval heritage.

 

Origin:

Bailey is a surname which comes from three sources: 1. An occupational surname derived from the Old French bailli, a later form of baillif which originally meant "carrier" and then "manager, administrator." In Middle English, the term came to refer to a public administrator of a district, a chief officer of a Hundred, or an officer under a sheriff. Baillie is still used as a term in Scotland to describe a local government civic officer.  2. A topographical surname derived from the Old French bail(e) "stake, palisade, brace." The bailey was the wall of the outer court of a castle and stood as the main defensive stronghold. The term later came to refer not only to the protective walls, but also the courtyard within.  Motte-and-bailey castles came over to Britain with the Normans. They were quick and easy to build, yet highly militarily advantageous and formidable. Such castles were one of the main reasons why the Norman kings, and later barons, were able to effectively govern and unite a country previously fractured into small kingdoms.  A bailward was the name given to a guardian of the bailey, and later a court. Some of the surname's use may come from people living within the boundary of a bailey, and others may come from the occupation of a bailward.  The famous Old Bailey in London -- the seat of Central Criminal Court -- was so called because it stood within the ancient bailey of the city's walls.  3. A local surname taken from the hamlet of Bailey in Lancashire. It's name is derived from the Old English elements bēg "berry" and lēah "wood, clearing." Overall, the name Bailey has strong ties to the idea of protection and justice.

Usage:

As with most surnames, Bailey came into use as a given name in the 17th century. Surnames were not uncommonly given as first names in honour of the mother's maiden name or after a godparent's surname.  Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Data from the 1881 UK census puts Bailey as the 67th most common surname in Britain.  As a given name, 111 men and 6 women had Bailey as a first name in 1881 added to a further 318 people who had it as a middle name. It is interesting to note that Bailey was more highly concentrated as a given name in areas where the surname was most popular.  Bailey was uncommon but used steadily through the 19th century, averaging 3 births per year. By the eve of the 20th century, however, the name became much rarer. Births registered in England and Wales: 1840s: 39 1850s: 35 1860s: 29 1870s: 26  1880s: 31 1890s: 25 1900s: 15 1910s: 7 1920s: 6 1930s: 3 1940s: 4   click to enlarge It was the late 1990s which saw Bailey's popularity surge upwards in England and Wales on the tail of Bradley, Ashley and Harvey. In 1996, Bailey ranked #263 with 109 births. Four years later in 2000, however, Bailey had cracked the top 100 at #74 (719 births). It peaked in 2005 at #62 (1061 births) and 2007 at #70 (1079 births). Since then it has been steadily declining in use.  Bailey also rose for girls, from #848 (26 births) in 1996 to a peak of #337 (111 births) in 2003. It has since fluctuated between #410-#510.  In 2013, Bailey ranked #113 (530 births) and Bailey ranked #476 (89 births).  The name has seen much less success in Scotland, having only broken into the top 100 (for boys) once: #96 (63 births) in 2006. In 2014, Bailey ranked #204 (27 births) and Bailey ranked #346 (11 births).

Famous Bearers:

History: * Bailey Bartlett (1750-1830), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts. * Edward Hodges Baily (1788–1867), English sculptor. * Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907), American author. Contemporary: * Bailey E. Howell (b. 1937), an American former professional basketball player. * Bailey Wright (b. 1992), an Australian professional footballer. Literature and Other Media: * Sir Bailey Barre, QC, a character in Gilbert and Sullivan's play Utopia, Limited (1893). Other: * Bailey, a sea area in the BBC Shipping Forecast.

Variants:

Bayley, Baylee, Bailee, Bailie, Bayleigh

Pronunciation:

BAY-lee [key]

Possible diminutives:

Bay, Bale, Lee

Sibling Names:

Darcey     Eden     Chloe     Harper     Skye     Caitlin      Harvey     Ryan     Lewis     Adam     Joel     Elliot

Name Lists:

Gilbert and Sullivan Names   Lively Lads   Occupational Surnames   Br-ee-zily Pl-ee-sing Surnames

 

If you like Bailey you may also like:    Riley, Corey, Brody, Ashton, Finlay, Sawyer, Archer, Billy, Reece, Kyle

 

Thanks to Danielle for requesting this post.