Baily Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Baily 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.

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Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Baily Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Baily family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 240
Agricultural Labourer 30
General Labourer 25
Living On Own Means 19
Farmer 16
General Servant Domestic 13
Coal Miner 13
Labourer 12
House Keeper 10
Domestic Servant 10
Clerk 9
General Servant 9
Dress Maker 8
Farm Servant 8
Farmer's Son 7
Laundress 6
Dressmaker 6
Tailor 6
Cotton Weaver 6
Shoe Maker 5
Hawker 5
General Domestic Servant 5
Farmers Son 5
Farm Labourer 5
Butcher 5

Baily Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Bailey 83% 319,576
2 Bayley 67% 37,433
3 Baily 100% 14,135
4 Beeley 50% 4,485
5 Blay 40% 4,268
6 Baley 60% 4,170
7 Baillie 57% 3,597
8 Bayly 80% 3,130
9 Balley 67% 2,751
10 Bealey 50% 2,030
11 Bly 60% 1,725
12 Buley 40% 1,623
13 Booley 50% 1,524
14 Boley 40% 1,523
15 Bloye 20% 1,424
16 Biley 60% 1,387
17 Abley 40% 1,329
18 Bloy 40% 1,093
19 Baly 80% 988
20 Bailly 83% 878
21 Bailley 71% 874
22 Bailie 67% 819
23 Baylie 50% 816
24 Bealy 60% 397
25 Boiley 67% 392
26 Bloyee 17% 316
27 Beely 60% 302
28 Bleay 40% 296
29 Bouley 50% 250
30 Beley 40% 229
31 Builey 67% 192
32 Bailay 83% 183
33 Beiley 67% 163
34 Bley 40% 147
35 Bailye 83% 146
36 Beyley 50% 142
37 Ebley 20% 112

Did you know?

The surname Baily is the 3rd most popular variant of Bailey.

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