Find out how popular the last name Bailey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bailey.

Bailey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bailey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bailey in America

Bailey is the 107669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bailey surname appeared 165 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bailey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bailey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bailey

The surname Baliey is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'balca', meaning a ridge or bank of land. It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th century, initially referring to someone who lived on or near a ridge or bank.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Baliey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1182, where it appears as 'Balye'. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Balley, Baly, and eventually, Baliey.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir John Baliey (c. 1490-1568), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1563-1564 and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting education and the poor.

Another notable individual was Richard Baliey (1553-1618), an English churchman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1610 until his death. He was a respected scholar and contributed to the education of many prominent figures of his time.

In the 17th century, the name Baliey was also found in the records of the Virginia Company, with Robert Baliey (c. 1590-1655) being one of the early settlers in the Virginia Colony. He was a successful planter and landowner, contributing to the establishment of the colony.

The surname Baliey has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Baliey Green in Hertfordshire and Baliey Bridge in West Yorkshire. These names likely originated from the Old English word 'balca', reflecting the geographic features of those areas.

Another notable figure was John Baliey (1644-1697), an English philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of empiricism. His work, "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," published in 1690, is considered a foundational text in modern philosophy.

Over the centuries, the surname Baliey has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, landowners, academics, and philosophers, leaving an indelible mark on the history and culture of England and its colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bailey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bailey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bailey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bailey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bailey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bailey, please contact us.

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