Surname Bayley - Meaning and Origin

Bayley: What does the surname Bayley mean?

The last name Bayley is of English origin and is thought to be derived from either a toponymic reference to a place named Bayley, or a Norman occupational name of Bailey.

The surname Bayley can be found in records dating back to the 14th century, such as William de Bayley in 1327 who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of the county of Sussex. During the 1500s and 1600s, the surname Bayley was common in the counties of Kent and Sussex in Southern England.

Variations of the name Bayley include Bailee, Bailie, Baily, Baillie, Bailey, and Baylie. The earliest recorded spelling of the surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls, where Walter de Bayley was recorded in 1286.

As with many English surnames, Bayley is whose members made a journey to the New World in the 17th century, many of these Bayleys settling in the colonies of Virginia, Maryland, and New England in North America.

To this day, Bayley is a surname used around the world, with the surname having featured in the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, amongst a number of other notable figures, including artist Tom Bayley and writer Val F. Bayley.

Bayley: Where does the name Bayley come from?

The last name Bayley can be found all over the world, but is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. According to Ancestry.com, this surname is the 385th most common surname in the United Kingdom, and it’s estimated that there are more than 40,000 people with this last name living there.

Outside of the UK, Bayley is also found in the United States, Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, South Africa, and a few other countries. In Australia, Bayley is the 4,807th most common last name and the 1,347th in the United States.

The origin of the Bayley name is likely derived from the Old English personal name, Baegel or Balig, from the Middle English which means “thief or robber”. The name was found in several records dating back to the 8th century.

The National Trust’s Bayley family is the most prominent family in the UK with this last name. They are behind the Bayley Estates in Northamptonshire which have been held by the family for over 800 years, and are now maintained by the Bayley Trust.

In modern times, the Bayley surname continues to live on in the UK, United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries. It’s estimated that there are more than 280,000 people with the Bayley surname living around the world.

Variations of the surname Bayley

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Bayley include Bailey, Baily, Bealy, Beiley, Baylee, Baillie, Baylie, Bailie, Bayle, Bayles, Bayliss, Baylis, Bailiss, Bayliffe, and Bayliss.

The Bayley surname is of English origin and is derived from medieval times. It is most likely derived from the Norman personal name Bailie, which was introduced into England by followers of William the Conqueror. This personal name was especially popular in Northern England and Scotland during the Middle Ages. Later, Bailie began to be spelled different ways as the language evolved, transforming into Baile, Baili, Bayle, Bayliffe, Baylie, Baylis, Bayliss, and so on.

Bailey is the most common variant of the surname and is likely derived from the Norman French spelling of Bailie. Baily is another variant of the same name, likely derived from the same Norman spelling. Bealy is an old Scottish spelling of the surname, while Beiley is its related Irish variant.

Baylee, Baillie, and Bailie, on the other hand, are all derived from an Old English spelling of the surname and are found mainly in Scotland. Baylie is a modern variation of Baylee, and Bailie is likely a variant of Bailie used mainly in Scotland.

Bayliffe, Baylis, and Bailiss are all modern spellings of the same surname found mainly in the United Kingdom. Other spellings include Bayles and Bayliss, which both appear commonly in England.

Famous people with the name Bayley

• Hana Bayley: Zoomer Magazine's "21 Under 21"
• Jack Bayley: British voice actor
• Joe Bayley: BBC Radio 1 music award winning sound engineer
• Roger Bayley: British-Australian wildlife photographer
• William Bayley: American Olympic swimmer
• Bill Bayley: English cricketer
• George Bayley: English cricketer
• John Bayley: British literary critic
• Alex Bayley: English football player
• Durban Bayley: British actor
• Clemency Bayley: British actress
• Edmund Bayley: British author and historian
• Shedrack Bayley: American football player
• Matt Bayley: Australian rules footballer
• Peter Bayley: English cricketer
• Ray Bayley: American World Champion Speedboat racer
• Simon Bayley: British rugby union player
• Steve Bayley: British musician

Other surnames

Bayler