Unisex · #6,765 in 2026

Baily

Current Rank
#6,765
Peak Rank
#1,671 (1997)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
+21%
👧 Girl peak #1,671 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #1,749 (417 total)
👧As Girl Name
1984
First Year
2026
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#1671
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
43
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1994
First Year
2008
Last Year
1999
Peak Year
#1749
Peak Rank
417
Total Count
15
Years Active

The Story of Baily

As a girl name

Baily first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1984, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1997: 94 births, good for #1,671 nationwide. About 37% of every Baily on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Baily ranks #6,765 for girls with 16 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

American parents first put Baily on the record books as a boy name in 1994, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 58 Bailys were born — ranking #1,749 that year. About 57% of every Baily on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Baily last appeared in the published SSA data in 2008, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 417 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Where is Baily most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • United States
    64%
  • Canada
    14%
  • United Kingdom
    12%
  • China
    6%
  • Netherlands
    4%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Baily

Phonetically similar names — useful when Baily is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Baily

What does the name Baily mean?
Baily is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1984. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.
How popular is Baily in 2026?
In 2026, Baily ranks #6,765 among girls' names in the U.S., with 16 babies given the name that year.
When was Baily most popular?
Baily reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #1,671 that year with 94 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Baily most popular?
Baily has historically been most popular in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Indiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Baily.
Is Baily a unisex name?
Yes — Baily is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 77% of Bailys assigned female and 23% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Baily?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Baily include Bunnie, Durinda, Deberah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Baily

Baily is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Baily's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #1,671. Use the chart and map above to compare Baily's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.