Baily
A masculine name of English origin meaning a bailiff or steward.
Name Census estimates that about 1,778 living Americans carry the first name Baily. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Baily today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Baily births was 1997 (149 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Baily. 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
1.8K
~ 1 in 192,775 Americans
Peak year
1997
149 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2008 SSA rank
#7,625
Tracked since 1984
Gender
Gender distribution for Baily
Baily is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,816 total registrations, 417 (23.0%) were male and 1,399 (77.0%) were female.
Baily as a male name
- Ranked #9,969 in 2008
- 7 male births in 2008
- Peak: 1999 (58 births)
Baily as a female name
- Ranked #7,625 in 2024
- 14 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1997 (94 births)
Popularity
Baily: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Baily from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 772 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Baily 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 Baily during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bailys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Baily, while Washington, Nebraska, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Baily
The name Baily is an English given name derived from the Old French word "baillie," which means "steward" or "administrator." It originated as an occupational surname during the Middle Ages, referring to a person who served as a bailiff or a local administrator responsible for managing estates or enforcing laws.
In its earliest recorded usage, the name Baily appeared in various medieval documents and records, such as the Domesday Book, a great survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name was particularly prevalent in areas of Norman influence, such as England and parts of France.
While the name Baily does not have any direct associations with ancient texts or religious scriptures, it does have historical references related to its administrative and legal connotations. For instance, the term "bailiff" appears in the Magna Carta, the famous charter signed in 1215 that established certain rights and liberties in England.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Baily was Sir Walter Baily, an English judge and Chief Baron of the Exchequer who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Baily (1557-1637), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Bangor and authored several religious works.
In the 18th century, Francis Baily (1774-1844) was a renowned English astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of comets and the calculation of stellar positions. He served as the president of the Royal Astronomical Society and had a lunar crater named in his honor.
During the 19th century, Edward Hodges Baily (1788-1867) was a celebrated English sculptor known for his neoclassical works, including the prestigious Nelson Monument in London's Trafalgar Square. He was elected as a Royal Academician and received numerous commissions from the British nobility.
Another notable figure was Theodor Baily (1831-1918), a German-American engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of early machine tools and manufacturing processes. He held numerous patents and was recognized for his contributions to the industrialization of the United States.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the given name Baily, showcasing its historical significance and diverse applications across various fields and professions.
People
Baily + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Baily 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
Baily: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Baily?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,778 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Baily 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 192,775 US residents.
Is Baily a common name?
We classify Baily as "Rare". It ranks above 93.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,816 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Baily most popular?
The single biggest year for Baily was 1997, when 149 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Baily is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Baily a female name?
Yes, 77.0% of people registered as Baily 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.
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.