Bailyn
An Old English surname that means "berrying place".
Name Census estimates that about 293 living Americans carry the first name Bailyn. It is a predominantly female name (94.9% of registrations). The average person named Bailyn today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bailyn births was 2011 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bailyn. 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
293
~ 1 in 1,169,810 Americans
Peak year
2011
25 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#9,003
Tracked since 1996
Gender
Gender distribution for Bailyn
Bailyn leans heavily female at 94.9% of total registrations, but 15 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bailyn as a male name
- Ranked #12,477 in 2012
- 5 male births in 2012
- Peak: 2001 (5 births)
Bailyn as a female name
- Ranked #9,003 in 2024
- 11 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (20 births)
Popularity
Bailyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bailyn 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 151 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bailyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bailyn 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 Bailyn 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 Bailyn
The given name Bailyn has its roots in the ancient Gaelic language spoken in parts of Scotland and Ireland. It is believed to have originated in the 5th or 6th century CE. The name is derived from the Gaelic word 'baile', which means homestead or settlement, combined with a suffix indicating a diminutive form.
Bailyn was a relatively uncommon name in ancient times, but it did appear in some historical records from the early medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was found in a monastic chronicle from the 9th century, referring to a monk named Bailyn who lived at a monastery in the Scottish Highlands.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Bailyn mac Fhearghuis was mentioned in Irish annals as a skilled warrior and chieftain from the province of Ulster. He played a role in several clashes between Irish clans during that turbulent period.
During the Renaissance era, a Scottish poet and playwright named Bailyn Dunbar (1460-1520) gained recognition for his satirical works and contributions to the literary culture of the time. His poems and plays often explored themes of social commentary and religious criticism.
In the 17th century, a renowned Dutch mathematician and astronomer, Bailyn Huygens (1629-1695), made significant advancements in the fields of optics, mechanics, and timekeeping. He is credited with the invention of the pendulum clock and contributed to the development of the wave theory of light.
Another historical figure with the name Bailyn was a British naval officer, Bailyn Hornblower (1776-1857), who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He gained fame for his bravery and leadership in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Bailyn, which has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures and has been carried on through various periods and regions over the centuries.
People
Bailyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bailyn 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
Bailyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bailyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 293 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bailyn 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 1,169,810 US residents.
Is Bailyn a common name?
We classify Bailyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 296 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bailyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Bailyn was 2011, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bailyn is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bailyn a female name?
Yes, 94.9% of people registered as Bailyn 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.