Bailey Name Meaning: From the Middle English "baili", meaning "bailiff".
With both English and French Origins, the surname is thought to derive from the term \"motte-and-bailey\". This is a type of castle which was popular in the 11th and 12th Century by both England and France. The motte is a raised mound, often an artificial hill, toppped with a stone structure which is know as the keep. The bailey is the enclosed courtyard which is overlooked by the motte, and usually contains a chapel, stables, huts for local people, and stalls for merchants.
Discover how your Bailey ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 0 |
| Buckinghamshire | 213 |
| Berkshire | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | 419 |
| Channel Islands | 96 |
| Cheshire | 1,733 |
| Cornwall | 334 |
| Cumberland | 118 |
| Derbyshire | 404 |
| Devon | 552 |
| Dorset | 291 |
| Durham | 380 |
| Essex | 526 |
| Gloucestershire | 644 |
| Hampshire | 1,011 |
| Herefordshire | 262 |
| Hertfordshire | 219 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 111 |
| Isle of Man | 27 |
| Kent | 878 |
| Lancashire | 2,441 |
| Leicestershire | 881 |
| Lincolnshire | 578 |
| London | 2,855 |
| Middlesex | 288 |
| Northumberland | 181 |
| Norfolk | 686 |
| Northamptonshire | 641 |
| Nottinghamshire | 574 |
| Oxfordshire | 147 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 111 |
| Shropshire | 816 |
| Suffolk | 493 |
| Somerset | 1,079 |
| Surrey | 427 |
| Sussex | 553 |
| Staffordshire | 2,249 |
| Warwickshire | 738 |
| Westmorland | 68 |
| Wiltshire | 1,055 |
| Worcestershire | 135 |
| Yorkshire | 3,068 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 7 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 1 |
| Carmarthenshire | 1 |
| Denbighshire | 28 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 88 |
| Merionethshire | 4 |
| Montgomeryshire | 34 |
| Monmouthshire | 96 |
| Pembrokeshire | 10 |
| Radnorshire | 4 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 4,722 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 1,270 |
| Labourer | 380 |
| House Servant | 361 |
| Coal Miner | 287 |
| Dress Maker | 245 |
| Servant | 214 |
| Shoe Maker | 171 |
| Laundress | 170 |
| House Keeper | 164 |
| Carter | 159 |
| General Servant | 152 |
| Cotton Weaver | 152 |
| Carpenter | 127 |
| Blacksmith | 113 |
| Tailor | 103 |
| Farm Labourer | 96 |
| Domestic Servant | 92 |
| House Maid | 89 |
| Gardener | 87 |
| Cook | 83 |
| Nurse | 77 |
| Stone Mason | 77 |
| Farmer | 73 |
| Potter | 70 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| William Bailey | 20,455 |
| Mary Bailey | 19,752 |
| John Bailey | 18,075 |
| Elizabeth Bailey | 12,711 |
| George Bailey | 11,471 |
| Sarah Bailey | 11,433 |
| Thomas Bailey | 11,135 |
| James Bailey | 10,136 |
| Ann Bailey | 6,664 |
| Charles Bailey | 6,547 |
| Henry Bailey | 6,316 |
| Joseph Bailey | 6,058 |
| Jane Bailey | 5,392 |
| Eliza Bailey | 4,862 |
| Annie Bailey | 4,583 |
| Alice Bailey | 4,382 |
| Emma Bailey | 4,303 |
| Ellen Bailey | 4,191 |
| Hannah Bailey | 3,971 |
| Robert Bailey | 3,603 |
| Arthur Bailey | 3,462 |
| Edward Bailey | 3,365 |
| Frederick Bailey | 3,289 |
| Samuel Bailey | 3,283 |
| Alfred Bailey | 3,233 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bailey | 100% | 319,576 |
| 2 | Bayley | 83% | 37,433 |
| 3 | Baily | 83% | 14,135 |
| 4 | Beeley | 67% | 4,485 |
| 5 | Blay | 50% | 4,268 |
| 6 | Baley | 83% | 4,170 |
| 7 | Baillie | 57% | 3,597 |
| 8 | Bayly | 67% | 3,130 |
| 9 | Balley | 83% | 2,751 |
| 10 | Bealey | 67% | 2,030 |
| 11 | Bly | 50% | 1,725 |
| 12 | Buley | 67% | 1,623 |
| 13 | Booley | 67% | 1,524 |
| 14 | Boley | 67% | 1,523 |
| 15 | Bloye | 33% | 1,424 |
| 16 | Biley | 83% | 1,387 |
| 17 | Abley | 67% | 1,329 |
| 18 | Bloy | 50% | 1,093 |
| 19 | Baly | 67% | 988 |
| 20 | Bailly | 83% | 878 |
| 21 | Bailley | 86% | 874 |
| 22 | Bailie | 67% | 819 |
| 23 | Baylie | 50% | 816 |
| 24 | Bealy | 50% | 397 |
| 25 | Boiley | 83% | 392 |
| 26 | Bloyee | 33% | 316 |
| 27 | Beely | 50% | 302 |
| 28 | Bleay | 50% | 296 |
| 29 | Bouley | 67% | 250 |
| 30 | Beley | 67% | 229 |
| 31 | Builey | 83% | 192 |
| 32 | Bailay | 83% | 183 |
| 33 | Beiley | 83% | 163 |
| 34 | Bley | 67% | 147 |
| 35 | Bailye | 67% | 146 |
| 36 | Beyley | 67% | 142 |
| 37 | Ebley | 50% | 112 |
The surname Bailey is the most popular version of all its varients