Bayley
Bayley was the 4469th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 31 babies. Its best year was 1997, when it ranked 1204th with 150 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 758 places. More babies were named Bayley in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Bailey) bailiff (surname) · English, Norman French
- Rank in 2025
- #4,469 girls, down 7 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 31girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1997150 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,656babies recorded
What does the name Bayley mean?
Bayley is a spelling of Bailey, pronounced the same way, so it shares Bailey's meaning and origin.
Bailey is an English surname with several sources. Wikipedia considers the most likely one Anglo-Norman bailli, 'bailiff', a steward or official. Wiktionary also lists a topographic surname for someone living by a bailey, the outer wall or courtyard of a castle. As a first name Bailey was used occasionally in 19th-century America, and later became popular for both girls and boys.
bailli (Anglo-Norman, “bailiff, steward”)bailey (Middle English, “outer wall of a castle”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'Bailiff' is the likeliest source; the castle 'bailey' is another.
Related names: Baylee, Bailee, Baileigh.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Bailey', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Bailey (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Bayley popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,469 | — | 31 | — |
| 2020 | #4,462 | — | 30 | — |
| 2010 | #3,524 | #8,217 | 45 | 9 |
| 2000 | #1,588 | #2,532 | 111 | 37 |
| 1990 | #4,881 | — | 19 | — |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Bayley, counting every spelling?
Bayley is a spelling of Bailey, a name family that ranked #169 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,469 for Bayley on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,010 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey | 1,446 | #209 | 8,205 |
| Baylee | 248 | #1,008 | 1,490 |
| Bailee | 227 | #1,069 | 1,424 |
| Bayley | 31 | #4,469 | 147 |
| Baylie | 28 | #4,782 | 95 |
| Baily | 8 | #11,092 | 57 |
| Bailie | 10 | #9,541 | 45 |
| Bayli | — | — | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Bayley?
31 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bayley (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Bayley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 270 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bayley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bayley?
About 2,200 people born in the US named Bayley are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 14 and 29. That makes Bayley mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Bayley by state
How common Bayley was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Bayley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bayley, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Bayley
What does Bayley mean?
Bayley is a spelling of Bailey, which means “bailiff (surname)” (English, Norman French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Bayley?
Bayley was the 4469th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 31 babies. Its best year was 1997, when it ranked 1204th with 150 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 758 places. More babies were named Bayley in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Bayley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Bayley in the US.
Where is Bayley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Bayley was most common in Texas (0.01 per 1,000 girls).