Declining since 1998, #1,069 for girls today.
Popularity of Bailee since 1982
Babies named Bailee per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 265 |
| 1990s | 3,621 |
| 2000s | 5,293 |
| 2010s | 5,317 |
| 2020s | 1,744 |
Meaning & origin
Bailee, a phonetic variant of the surname Bailey, first appeared on the U.S. baby name charts in 1982, reflecting the late twentieth-century trend of using and respelling surnames for girls. It reached its peak popularity in 1997, when it ranked higher than it does today. Since 1998, its usage has been steadily declining, and as of 2025 it sits at rank 1069, with about 1 in 7080 female babies receiving the name. Geographically, Bailee has been most popular in the southern states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The name shares style with other surname-inspired and phonetic names like Baylee, Kassidy, and Mckenzie, fitting the 1990s trend of creative spellings. While the root surname Bailey has medieval occupational origins, Bailee itself is a modern coinage that does not carry those historical associations in common use.
Bailee is a feminine given name derived from the English surname Bailey, which itself originates from the Old French 'bailli' meaning 'bailiff' or 'steward.' The surname referred to an official who acted as a deputy or agent. Bailee, along with its many spelling variants, emerged as a first name in the late twentieth century, particularly in the United States, reflecting the trend of using surnames and phonetic respellings for girls. It gained popularity in the 1990s, peaking in 1997.
Where Bailee is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Bay, Lee
Sibling names for Bailee
Names that share Bailee's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Bailee
Names whose popularity has moved with Bailee's over the last 50 years.
