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Baley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Baley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The name Baley arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who held the civil office of the same name in Normandy. The title 'Le Bailli' was approximately equal to that of Viscount or sheriff. 1 There was also a place named Bailleul-En-Vimeu which is about six miles south of Abbeyville in the Somme, Normandy from which some instances of the surname may have evolved. The name Baley is also an occupational name for a steward or official, deriving from "baiulivus" in Late Latin. In Scotland the word bailie, rather than bailiff is still used as the title for an officer in the courts.

Early Origins of the Baley family

The surname Baley was first found in Northumberland. However, there is still great controversy over the earliest origins of the name. There was great popular belief that the name was changed from Balliol, due to the unpopularity of the two Scottish Kings of that name. However, many historians, such as Bain, find no evidence for such a change, and cite very early instances of the name Baillie, such as William de Bailli, who appeared as a juror on an inquest concerning forfeited lands in Lothian around 1311-12. 2

Early records of the Baillie Clan indicate that the aforementioned William de Bailli was also known as Baillie of Hoperig, who acquired the lands of Lamington in Lanarkshire. His son William was granted a charter confirming ownership of these same lands in 1358. Alexander, the eldest grandson of William and two brothers fled the country after they had beaten and killed their tutor. After serving in the army, Alexander received the lands of Dunain and Dochfour, and was appointed the Constable of Inverness. Another brother of Alexander's married a daughter of Sir Patrick Hume's in 1492, and from this union descended the Baillies of Jerviswood.

Early History of the Baley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Baley research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1292, 1296, 1308, 1332, 1338, 1585, 1587, 1589, 1610, 1611, 1630, 1632, 1634, 1644, 1648, 1657, 1664, 1667, 1671, 1684, 1691, 1701, 1719, 1720, 1721, 1738, 1740, 1741, 1744, 1749, 1764, 1872 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Baley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Baley Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Baillie, Bailey, Bailie, Bayly, Bayley, Bailley, Baly, Ballye, Bayllie and many more.

Early Notables of the Baley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Henry Baley (died 1701), ship's captain for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and later became a Governor for the HBC

Baley Ranking

In the United States, the name Baley is the 16,645^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Baley family to Ireland

Some of the Baley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 174 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Baley migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Baley or a variant listed above:

Baley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Baley, aged 41, who landed in Virginia in 1611 aboard the ship "Prosperous" 4
Mrs. Mary Baley, who landed in Virginia in 1617 aboard the ship "George" 4
Nicholas Baley, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 4
Lewis Baley, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 4
William Baley, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Baley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Cha Baley, who landed in Virginia in 1701 4
Edward Baley, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 4
George Baley, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 4

Baley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

W Baley, aged 26, who landed in America in 1822 4
J M Baley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
W T Baley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
Edmond Baley, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1854 4
Ann Baley, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1854 4

Baley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Baley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Joseph Baley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760

Baley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Baley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Baley, a shoemaker, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832

The Baley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ubi bene ibi patria
Motto Translation: One's country is where one is well.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)