Origins of the Bailey surname

What does the name Bailey mean?

The Bailey surname is English in origin, coming from the Anglo-French 'bailler' (to deliver). Bailey is an occupational surname, used most prevalently as a description of a bailiff, or steward. Less often, Bailey sometimes could also be attached to those who live near a castle or stronghold.

Alternative variations of the name Bailey

Bailey, Bayley, Bailley, Baillie, Bailie

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Delve deeper into the Bailey family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1415North West 2867Isle of Man 38Yorkshire 6284East Midlands 1717West Midlands 5773East 2269London 8492South East 4275South West 1278South Wales 576Mid Wales 64West Wales 15North Wales 137Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Baileys lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

66,000 Bailey Travel & migration records
470,000 Baileys found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Bailey

How common is your surname?

62nd most common surname in the UK

We have for the Bailey surname. The oldest one dates back to 1300.

Who were Baileys most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Baileys.

What are the most common Bailey first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Bailey family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Baileys

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Baileys in 1921

Dressmaker

1,856

Laundress

1,203

Domestic Servant

1,117

General Servant Domestic

1,110

Cotton Weaver

786

Commmon male occupations for Baileys in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

2,250

Coal Miner

2,092

General Labourer

1,647

Farmer

1,283

Farm Labourer

1,275

We found over 560,000 family trees with the Bailey surname

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