Bailei

Meaning & origin

Bailei is a modern American coinage that entered U.S. birth records in 1997. It is an elaborate respelling of Bailey, the popular unisex name derived from an English occupational surname. Although Bailey has historically been used for both sexes, the -ei ending marks Bailei as a distinctly feminine form, following the pattern of other creative spellings like Baylee and Bailee. The name saw a modest rise in popularity, reaching its peak in 2018, but has since been on a downward trajectory. Despite its recent vintage, Bailei remains very uncommon: in its latest ranking year, 2025, it placed 14,942 with a rate of about 1 in every 321,453 newborn girls. It has no recorded concentration in any particular U.S. state, reflecting its scattered, low-frequency use.

Bailei first appeared in U.S. records in 1997. It is almost certainly a modern spelling variant of Bailey, which itself derives from an English occupational surname meaning "bailiff" or "steward." The creative respelling with an -ei ending follows a trend of unique feminine-sounding name variants in late 20th-century America.