Bailey

What does Bailey mean?

Bailey comes from an English occupational surname meaning “bailiff.” Its older source is Middle English baili, used for a person who held that role. The given name developed by transferring the family name into the first-name position.

It is used for both boys and girls. American television helped make Bailey familiar in both roles, and the name reached its strongest American popularity near the end of the twentieth century.

The surname behind the name

Bailey began as a surname describing an occupation. That history places it alongside other first names taken from family names associated with a person's work.

Bailee, Baylee, and Bayley are established related spellings. Bailey keeps the spelling of the older surname, while the alternatives adjust its written form without necessarily changing the English pronunciation.

Bailey on American television

Bailey was already an uncommon masculine first name before it became more widely used for American girls. Girls' use began to rise after WKRP in Cincinnati started in 1978 with a character called Bailey.

Another television character helped give the name a boost for boys in 1994, through the drama Party of Five. The two associations belong to different programs and periods, reflecting Bailey's history as a name used for both sexes.

In Britain and Australia, its naming history has leaned more strongly toward boys. That contrast gives Bailey a different everyday balance depending on the country in which it is heard.

Bailey Pickett in The Suite Life on Deck

Bailey Pickett, played by Debby Ryan, appears in Disney's The Suite Life on Deck. The series premiered on September 26, 2008, moving Zack and Cody's story from a hotel to the cruise ship SS Tipton.

Bailey is a girl from Kansas who shares a small room with London Tipton. The ship combines tourism with student life at Seven Seas High, giving the characters a school setting that travels with them.

Ryan also portrayed Bailey in The Suite Life Movie, which aired on March 25, 2011. The character gives the name another female screen association, later than the period when Bailey first rose sharply in American girls' records.

Pronunciation and sound

Bailey is pronounced BAY-lee, with stress on the first syllable. The opening sounds like bay, followed by the light vowel heard at the end of happy.

The same pronunciation serves both masculine and feminine use. Bailey is a complete first name, rather than a familiar form requiring a longer formal version.

Bailey in the United States

For American girls, Bailey reached its highest count and best rank in 1998: 5,198 babies and No. 60. It ranked No. 209 in 2025.

For boys, its largest count and best rank came in 1997, with 2,296 babies and No. 151. It ranked No. 1,358 in 2025.

How popular is Bailey?

In 2025, Bailey ranked #209 among girls in the United States, with 1,446 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1916; its largest annual count was 5,198 in 1998. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.