Unisex name · since 1916
Bailey
Since 1916, U.S. Social Security records show 110,806 babies named Bailey, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #348 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #209 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 110,806
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Bailey is the #209 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 110,806 recorded since 1916.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bailey has been recorded 110,806 times among girls since 1916, currently ranked #209 nationally and more common than 99% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2025.
- #348 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #209 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 110,806 born since 1916
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bailey ranks #348 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #209 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 110,806 born since 1916, peaking in the 2000s.
- #348 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #209 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 110,806
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
Bailey's 110,806 recorded births place it above 99.51% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Bailey compares
110,806 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bailey's all-time total is 295x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bailey | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 110,806 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,198 | 21 | 19,840 |
Bailey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bailey's SSA record in two at 2000 and the more recent half accounts for 68% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 32%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1956, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 5,198, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bailey popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 5,198
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Bailey popularity over time - boys
21,738 total births recorded since 1880 (Bailey as boys' name)
Bailey by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (36,881 births, 33% of the file).
2000s was Bailey's strongest decade.
36,881 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Bailey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1970s 28
1970s
28 births
- 1980s 4,082
1980s
4,082 births
- 1990s
1990s
31,621 births
- 2000s
2000s
36,881 births
- 2010s
2010s
28,302 births
- 2020s 9,875
2020s
9,875 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 36,881 births (33% of all-time use).
How Bailey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bailey's total volume
Bailey by state
Where Bailey concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 10,911 | 9.8% |
| #2 | California | | 9,016 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 4,710 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 4,664 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 4,215 | 3.8% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 3,635 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 3,572 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 3,518 | 3.2% |
10,911 of 110,806 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Bailey appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does Bailey sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Bailey most popular? ▼
Where is Bailey most popular? ▼
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What to do with Bailey's data
- Bailey's decade-level peak was the 2000s (36,881 total births); usage has since declined to 9,875 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Baileys (10,911 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bailey
Nearby Names Like Bailey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bailey
Compare Bailey side by side: Bailey vs Bailee Bailey vs Baila Bailey vs Baileigh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bailey
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bailey: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1998)
Similar record span (~109 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1916–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bailey draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.