Baeleigh
An English variant of the name Bailey, originating from a surname referring to an officer or bailiff.
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the first name Baeleigh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Baeleigh today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Baeleigh births was 2008 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Baeleigh. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
137
~ 1 in 2,501,856 Americans
Peak year
2008
13 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,320
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Baeleigh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Baeleigh from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 67 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Baeleigh by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Baeleigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Baeleigh
The name Baeleigh is a relatively modern invention, likely created as a unique spelling variation of the traditional English name Bailey. The name Bailey itself has its roots in the Old French word "baillie," meaning "officer in charge of provisions and enforcement." This term originated from the Latin word "bajulus," meaning "porter" or "bearer."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Bailey can be traced back to the 12th century in England, where it was initially used as a surname for individuals who held the occupation of a bailiff or officer. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, primarily for males. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Bailey, an English knight who lived in the late 13th century.
While the name Bailey has a long history, the variant spelling Baeleigh is a much more recent creation, likely emerging in the late 20th or early 21st century. This unusual spelling appears to be an attempt to add a unique flair to the traditional name, possibly inspired by the trend of creating unconventional name spellings.
Notable historical figures who bore the name Bailey include Joseph Bailey, an American engineer and military officer who played a crucial role in the American Civil War (1825-1867). Another prominent figure was Pearl Bailey, an American actress, singer, and author who achieved widespread fame in the mid-20th century (1918-1990).
In the realm of literature, one of the most famous bearers of the name was Nathaniel Bailey, an English philologist and lexicographer who authored the influential "Dictionarium Britannicum" in the early 18th century (1676-1742). Additionally, Samuel Bailey, an English philosopher and author, made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics with his work "Essays on the Formation and Publication of Opinions" (1791-1870).
While the name Baeleigh does not have a long historical lineage like its traditional counterpart Bailey, it represents a modern twist on an established name with a rich heritage.
People
Baeleigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Baeleigh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Baeleigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Baeleigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 137 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Baeleigh going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,501,856 US residents.
Is Baeleigh a common name?
We classify Baeleigh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 138 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Baeleigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Baeleigh was 2008, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Baeleigh is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Baeleigh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Baeleigh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Baeleigh in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Baeleigh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Baeleigh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Baeleigh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Baeleigh?
See how many people share the name Baeleigh on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.