Bailey Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

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.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

England

Bedfordshire 236
Buckinghamshire 312
Berkshire 675
Cambridgeshire 569
Channel Islands 121
Cheshire 2,546
Cornwall 374
Cumberland 148
Derbyshire 871
Devon 746
Dorset 478
Durham 1,008
Essex 1,643
Gloucestershire 1,209
Hampshire 1,823
Herefordshire 221
Hertfordshire 304
Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) 82
Isle of Man 32
Kent 1,724
Lancashire 6,719
Leicestershire 1,579
Lincolnshire 746
London 6,058
Middlesex 1,108
Northumberland 350
Norfolk 945
Northamptonshire 1,160
Nottinghamshire 1,144
Oxfordshire 164
Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) 82
Shropshire 816
Suffolk 710
Somerset 1,174
Surrey 1,297
Sussex 1,062
Staffordshire 4,687
Warwickshire 1,710
Westmorland 48
Wiltshire 1,069
Worcestershire 531
Yorkshire 5,867

Wales

Anglesey 2
Brecknockshire 44
Cardiganshire 6
Carnarvonshire 34
Carmarthenshire 23
Denbighshire 63
Flintshire 7
Glamorgan 735
Merionethshire 13
Montgomeryshire 49
Monmouthshire 335
Pembrokeshire 10
Radnorshire 5

Bailey Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Bailey family

Profession Census Frequency
General Labourer 578
Living On Own Means 545
General Servant Domestic 423
Scholar 385
Dress Maker 348
Cotton Weaver 329
Farmer 310
Coal Miner Hewer 262
Agricultural Labourer 228
Cook Domestic 222
Domestic Servant 203
Carpenter 185
Housemaid Domestic 176
Laundress Wash 171
School 162
Gardener Domestic 138
Charwoman 129
House Maid Domestic 129
Blacksmith 124
Bricklayer 124
Tailoress 122
Coal Miner 118
Servant Domestic 116
Ordinary Agricultural Labourer 114
Butcher 109

Most Frequent Forenames for Bailey

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

Bailey Surname Variants Ranking

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

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The surname Bailey is the most popular version of all its varients

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