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The short answer
Bailey is a name taken from an English surname that Behind the Name derives from Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", originally denoting someone who held that office. It is pronounced BAY-lee. Behind the Name describes it as an already uncommon masculine name that "slowly grew in popularity for American girls beginning in 1978" after the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati featured a character with the name, and that got a boost for boys in 1994 from a character on the drama Party of Five; in the United Kingdom and Australia it has always been more popular for boys. Bailee, Baylee and Bayley are spelling variants. In the United States Bailey ranked #209 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Bailey as "from an English surname derived from Middle English baili meaning 'bailiff', originally denoting one who was a bailiff". It is therefore an occupational surname, in the same class as names like Carter or Mason. The surname is listed as the root, and Bailee, Baylee and Bayley as variants. The entry's account of the name's modern use is regional: in America it moved toward girls from 1978, tied to the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, and although it "remained more common as a feminine name" it received a boost for boys in 1994 from a Party of Five character; in the United Kingdom and Australia, by contrast, Behind the Name says it has always been more popular for boys.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Middle English | baili | bailiff |
| English | Bailey (surname) | occupational surname for a bailiff |
Popularity
Bailey ranked #209 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name traces the American shift toward girls to 1978 and WKRP in Cincinnati, notes a 1994 boost for boys from Party of Five, and says the name has always been more popular for boys in the United Kingdom and Australia. No non-US rank figures were available in the facts used for this draft.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #209 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #209 (Social Security Administration)
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Bailee, Baylee, Bayley
Related names: None documented.
What the name feels like
Bailey is friendly and unfussy: two syllables, a bright long-A vowel and the -ee ending that gives it a casual, nickname-like warmth even though it is a full name. Its occupational-surname origin places it with Carter, Parker and Taylor, and its history on both the boys' and girls' lists gives it a relaxed, genuinely unisex feel that many parents like.
Style tags: surname name, occupational, two syllables, unisex history, -ee ending
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name records no nicknames for Bailey; the comparisons to Carter, Parker and Taylor are editorial groupings by surname type, not relationships the entry states.
If you like this name
Names that share Bailey's sound, its occupational-surname origin or its easy unisex style. These groupings are editorial suggestions.
Similar by sound
Similar by origin
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bailey mean?
Bailey comes from an English surname derived from Middle English baili, meaning "bailiff", and originally denoted someone who was a bailiff, according to Behind the Name.
Is Bailey a boy's or a girl's name?
It depends on the country. Behind the Name says Bailey became more common for American girls from 1978 and has remained mostly feminine in the US, where it ranked #209 for girls in 2025 (Social Security Administration), while in the United Kingdom and Australia it has always been more popular for boys.
How do you spell Bailey?
The standard spelling is Bailey. Behind the Name lists Bailee, Baylee and Bayley as variants.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Bailey — supports etymology, pronunciation, variants, gender usage by region, television references.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
