Bailey
Girl name · #209 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
Bailey ranks #209 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,446 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #107, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,245 girls born in 2025 was named Bailey.
The 109-year story
Bailey first appears in the Social Security records in 1916, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1998, when 5,198 girls were named Bailey — good for #60 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Bailey per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bailey against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bailey in class?
Bailey scores 52 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Bailey is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bailey is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Baileys were TX (128), CA (105), FL (74), GA (65), OH (65). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Bailey
Statistically, parents drawn to Bailey tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hailey, Sydney, Delaney, Brianna, and Harley.
HaileySydneyDelaneyBriannaHarleyMarleyPresleyBrooke
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bailey | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,446 | #208 |
| 2024 | 1,652 | #182 |
| 2023 | 1,683 | #172 |
| 2022 | 1,649 | #182 |
| 2021 | 1,775 | #162 |
| 2020 | 1,670 | #172 |
| 2019 | 1,819 | #157 |
| 2018 | 2,181 | #133 |
| 2017 | 2,433 | #125 |
| 2016 | 2,712 | #116 |
| 2015 | 2,853 | #107 |
| 2014 | 2,951 | #104 |
| 2013 | 3,019 | #105 |
| 2012 | 3,418 | #81 |
| 2011 | 3,318 | #88 |
| 2010 | 3,598 | #78 |
| 2009 | 3,643 | #85 |
| 2008 | 3,907 | #82 |
| 2007 | 3,934 | #84 |
| 2006 | 2,980 | #112 |
| 2005 | 2,991 | #108 |
| 2004 | 3,309 | #100 |
| 2003 | 3,467 | #98 |
| 2002 | 3,662 | #84 |
| 2001 | 4,339 | #69 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bailey a popular girl name?
Bailey ranked #209 among girls in 2025 with 1,446 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #107.
When was the name Bailey most popular?
Bailey peaked in 1998, when 5,198 American girls received the name (ranked #60 that year). Since 1998 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bailey?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,245 newborn American girls was named Bailey. It scores 52/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.