Bailey
Bailey was given to 1,446 girls in 2025, #209 among girls’ names; 132,544 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 129,000 Americans named Bailey and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (97% of everyone recorded); the median is 23 years old and half are between 14 and 28.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Bailey by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Bailey mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Bailey is “a female given name transferred from the surname.” Its etymology gives the sense “outer castle wall” (bailey).
Also “a male given name transferred from the surname.”
(English topographic surname): See bailey (“outer castle wall”)
/ˈbeɪli/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Bailey?
#209 among girls’ names, 2025
Bailey fell from #107 in 2015 to #209 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born fell from 1.6 to 0.90 per 1,000.
7,437 babies in 1998, the peak
Bailey peaked in 1998, when 7,437 babies were given it (5,198 girls, #60 among girls’ names). The 1,584 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 21% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,446 | #209 | 138 | #1,358 |
| 2024 | 1,652 | #182 | 155 | #1,271 |
| 2023 | 1,683 | #172 | 151 | #1,274 |
| 2022 | 1,649 | #182 | 119 | #1,517 |
| 2021 | 1,775 | #162 | 119 | #1,497 |
| 2020 | 1,670 | #172 | 93 | #1,688 |
| 2019 | 1,819 | #157 | 120 | #1,451 |
| 2018 | 2,181 | #133 | 128 | #1,377 |
| 2017 | 2,433 | #125 | 144 | #1,265 |
| 2016 | 2,712 | #116 | 110 | #1,523 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,853 | #107 | 111 | #1,494 |
| 2014 | 2,951 | #104 | 135 | #1,308 |
| 2013 | 3,019 | #105 | 124 | #1,361 |
| 2012 | 3,418 | #81 | 121 | #1,384 |
| 2011 | 3,318 | #88 | 168 | #1,101 |
| 2010 | 3,598 | #78 | 196 | #997 |
| 2009 | 3,643 | #85 | 219 | #938 |
| 2008 | 3,907 | #82 | 277 | #792 |
| 2007 | 3,934 | #84 | 355 | #673 |
| 2006 | 2,980 | #112 | 366 | #637 |
| 2005 | 2,991 | #108 | 477 | #515 |
| 2004 | 3,309 | #100 | 599 | #433 |
| 2003 | 3,467 | #98 | 759 | #357 |
| 2002 | 3,662 | #84 | 851 | #325 |
| 2001 | 4,339 | #69 | 1,234 | #266 |
| 2000 | 4,649 | #68 | 1,755 | #202 |
| 1999 | 4,809 | #65 | 2,208 | #167 |
| 1998 | 5,198 | #60 | 2,239 | #154 |
| 1997 | 5,024 | #65 | 2,296 | #151 |
| 1996 | 4,192 | #85 | 1,550 | #200 |
| 1995 | 3,488 | #96 | 1,010 | #277 |
| 1994 | 2,351 | #137 | 188 | #766 |
| 1993 | 2,134 | #146 | 129 | #945 |
| 1992 | 1,730 | #177 | 119 | #986 |
| 1991 | 1,435 | #208 | 100 | #1,082 |
| 1990 | 1,260 | #227 | 87 | #1,161 |
| 1989 | 1,051 | #257 | 88 | #1,128 |
| 1988 | 942 | #269 | 77 | #1,142 |
| 1987 | 611 | #383 | 65 | #1,193 |
| 1986 | 500 | #430 | 41 | #1,591 |
| 1985 | 309 | #612 | 39 | #1,619 |
| 1984 | 267 | #652 | 40 | #1,532 |
| 1983 | 152 | #959 | 30 | #1,823 |
| 1982 | 110 | #1,213 | 41 | #1,516 |
| 1981 | 84 | #1,447 | 26 | #2,042 |
| 1980 | 56 | #1,907 | 30 | #1,855 |
| 1979 | 17 | #4,243 | 19 | #2,472 |
| 1978 | 6 | #8,644 | 16 | #2,676 |
| 1977 | under 5 | 18 | #2,466 | |
| 1976 | under 5 | 15 | #2,716 | |
| 1975 | 5 | #9,194 | 13 | #2,918 |
| 1974 | under 5 | 16 | #2,468 | |
| 1973 | under 5 | 18 | #2,224 | |
| 1972 | under 5 | 15 | #2,434 | |
| 1971 | under 5 | 19 | #2,133 | |
| 1970 | under 5 | 20 | #1,993 | |
| 1969 | under 5 | 26 | #1,607 | |
| 1968 | under 5 | 13 | #2,323 | |
| 1967 | under 5 | 26 | #1,506 | |
| 1966 | under 5 | 22 | #1,651 | |
| 1965 | under 5 | 15 | #2,095 | |
| 1964 | under 5 | 23 | #1,656 | |
| 1963 | under 5 | 22 | #1,697 | |
| 1962 | under 5 | 21 | #1,763 | |
| 1961 | under 5 | 14 | #2,244 | |
| 1960 | under 5 | 15 | #2,128 | |
| 1959 | under 5 | 28 | #1,502 | |
| 1958 | under 5 | 21 | #1,728 | |
| 1957 | under 5 | 31 | #1,410 | |
| 1956 | 5 | #6,012 | 27 | #1,511 |
| 1955 | under 5 | 28 | #1,460 | |
| 1954 | under 5 | 29 | #1,410 | |
| 1953 | under 5 | 25 | #1,511 | |
| 1952 | under 5 | 34 | #1,270 | |
| 1951 | under 5 | 29 | #1,375 | |
| 1950 | under 5 | 35 | #1,220 | |
| 1949 | under 5 | 30 | #1,323 | |
| 1948 | under 5 | 27 | #1,402 | |
| 1947 | under 5 | 28 | #1,394 | |
| 1946 | under 5 | 31 | #1,261 | |
| 1945 | under 5 | 31 | #1,183 | |
| 1944 | under 5 | 32 | #1,174 | |
| 1943 | under 5 | 27 | #1,345 | |
| 1942 | under 5 | 31 | #1,247 | |
| 1941 | under 5 | 33 | #1,153 | |
| 1940 | under 5 | 31 | #1,210 | |
| 1939 | under 5 | 38 | #1,033 | |
| 1938 | under 5 | 34 | #1,111 | |
| 1937 | under 5 | 41 | #987 | |
| 1936 | under 5 | 34 | #1,120 | |
| 1935 | under 5 | 37 | #1,060 | |
| 1934 | under 5 | 30 | #1,215 | |
| 1933 | under 5 | 35 | #1,103 | |
| 1932 | under 5 | 41 | #1,037 | |
| 1931 | under 5 | 35 | #1,148 | |
| 1930 | under 5 | 42 | #1,071 | |
| 1929 | under 5 | 35 | #1,177 | |
| 1928 | under 5 | 45 | #1,032 | |
| 1927 | under 5 | 36 | #1,204 | |
| 1926 | under 5 | 32 | #1,280 | |
| 1925 | 6 | #4,485 | 30 | #1,334 |
| 1924 | under 5 | 44 | #1,071 | |
| 1923 | under 5 | 33 | #1,256 | |
| 1922 | under 5 | 39 | #1,142 | |
| 1921 | under 5 | 48 | #1,014 | |
| 1920 | under 5 | 48 | #989 | |
| 1919 | under 5 | 36 | #1,164 | |
| 1918 | under 5 | 37 | #1,127 | |
| 1917 | under 5 | 33 | #1,177 | |
| 1916 | 6 | #3,961 | 50 | #888 |
| 1915 | under 5 | 34 | #1,102 | |
| 1914 | under 5 | 34 | #951 | |
| 1913 | under 5 | 24 | #1,025 | |
| 1912 | under 5 | 26 | #879 | |
| 1911 | under 5 | 11 | #1,043 | |
| 1910 | under 5 | 10 | #1,045 | |
| 1909 | under 5 | 9 | #1,029 | |
| 1908 | under 5 | 7 | #1,124 | |
| 1907 | under 5 | 14 | #702 | |
| 1906 | under 5 | 15 | #616 | |
| 1905 | under 5 | 10 | #793 | |
| 1904 | under 5 | 10 | #764 | |
| 1903 | under 5 | 5 | #1,142 | |
| 1902 | under 5 | 10 | #748 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 12 | #601 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 19 | #557 | |
| 1899 | under 5 | 11 | #620 | |
| 1898 | under 5 | 14 | #575 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 13 | #585 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 8 | #828 | |
| 1895 | under 5 | 10 | #690 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 11 | #632 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 16 | #461 | |
| 1892 | under 5 | 10 | #690 | |
| 1891 | under 5 | 10 | #605 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 13 | #536 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 10 | #632 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 6 | #924 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 6 | #828 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 7 | #768 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 7 | #767 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 6 | #860 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 8 | #684 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 8 | #705 | |
| 1881 | under 5 | 8 | #656 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 12 | #532 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Bailey a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 132,544 Americans recorded as Bailey, 84% are girls and 16% boys. In 2025 it went to 1,446 girls and 138 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Bailey: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Bailey, and how old are they?
129,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 97% of the 132,544 Americans ever recorded as Bailey. The median Bailey alive today is 23 years old; half are between 14 and 28.
The 2020 Census counted 111,403 people named Bailey (93,859 women and girls, 17,544 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 119,562 born in the U.S. The Census count is 7% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 115 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 326 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 346 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 23,700 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 75,400 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 29,300 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Bailey born?
The states with the most babies named Bailey are Texas, California and Florida, with 22% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 133 | #270 | 1.0× |
| California | 114 | #309 | 0.6× |
| Florida | 82 | #258 | 0.8× |
| Georgia | 72 | #149 | 1.2× |
| Ohio | 71 | #170 | 1.0× |
| Pennsylvania | 66 | #189 | 0.8× |
| New York | 60 | #279 | 0.4× |
| North Carolina | 59 | #210 | 1.1× |
| Illinois | 57 | #174 | 0.7× |
| Virginia | 57 | #131 | 0.8× |
Where Bailey is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Bailey is most over-represented in Oklahoma: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Bailey with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 181,455 babies since 1880, Bailey is the most given (73% of them). In 2025 it was given to 1,584 of their 2,266 babies (70%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Bailey
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
| Name | Recorded | 1880-2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Devyn | 16,215 | |
| Alexi | 5,976 | |
| Carrington | 4,481 |
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Bailey and names like it
- Compare Bailey and BayleeBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1990sBailey peaked in 1998.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Bailey since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Bailey: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1998The year the most babies were named Bailey.
- The names of Generation ZMost people named Bailey alive today were born 1997-2012.
- Names starting with BMost given first.