Show ContentsBailey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bailey Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Bailey

What does the name Bailey mean?

The Irish Bailey, originally came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Bailey is 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.

Early Origins of the Bailey family

The surname Bailey was first found in County Down (Irish:An Dún) part of the Province of Ulster, in Northern Ireland, formerly known as county St Mirren.

Early History of the Bailey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bailey research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1630, 1644, 1648, 1664, 1855 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Bailey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bailey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Baillie, Bailey, Bailie, Bayly, Bayley, Bailley, Baly, Ballye, Bayllie and many more.

Early Notables of the Bailey family

  • the Bailey family of County Down

Bailey World Ranking

Australia, the name Bailey is the 82nd most popular surname with an estimated 29,313 people with that name. 1 However, in New Zealand, the name Bailey is ranked the 93rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,154 people with that name. 2 And in the United Kingdom, the name Bailey is the 65th popular surname with an estimated 69,972 people with that name. 3 Canada ranks Bailey as 180th with 20,095 people. 4 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Bailey as 114th with 306 people. 5 The United States ranks Bailey as 60th with 286,005 people. 6 South Africa ranks Bailey as 663rd with 10,265 people. 7

Bailey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. Thomas Bailey, (b. 1771), aged 18, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Joseph Bailey, (d. 1792), British settler convicted in Cambridgeshire, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
  • Mr. Paul Bailey, British settler convicted in London, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
  • Mr. Richard Bailey, (b. 1775), aged 15, British settler convicted in London, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a handkerchief, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
  • Mr. William Bailey, British settler convicted in Lincolnshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 14 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Bailey Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Bailey, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Bailey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Bailey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bailey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs C Bailey, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr Bailey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Antilla
  • Thomas Bailey, aged 28, a cabinet maker, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 14
  • Mary Bailey, aged 26, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 14
  • Mr. Bailey, British settler travelling from Cape of Good Hope, South Africa aboard the ship "Antilla" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 8th December 1841 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bailey (post 1700) +

  • Pearl Mae Bailey (1918-1990), American actress, singer and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Earle Wilfred Bailey OAM (1941-2023), Australian journalist, media personality, and Australian politician, member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1983 to 1986
  • Christopher James Mannix Bailey (1957-2022), Kenya-born, Australian singer, songwriter, musician and producer, co-founder and singer of rock band the Saints
  • Michael John "Mike" Bailey OAM (1950-2021), Australian television weather presenter, journalism educator, political aspirant and football club chairman
  • Eric Bailey (1906-1946), Australian recipient of the George Cross
  • Cullen Benjamin Bailey (b. 1985), Australian cricketer
  • Eric George Bailey GC (1906-1945), New South Wales Police Officer posthumously awarded the George Cross
  • John Bailey (1945-2019), Irish Fine Gael politician, Chairman of the Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for ten years
  • Jonathan Stuart Bailey (b. 1988), English Laurence Olivier Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award winning actor known for his dramatic, comedic, and musical roles, named as People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2025
  • ... (Another 58 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Centaur
  • William Henry Bailey (1912-1943), Australian Private who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
  • Mr. George Bailey, British Fireman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 16
  • Mr. Fred  Bailey (1892-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 17
  • Frederick William Bailey (d. 1945), British Leading Stoker aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 18
  • Mr. Leonard W J Bailey (b. 1902), English Ordinary Signalman serving for the Royal Navy from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19
  • ... (Another 22 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Bailey 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: Quid clarius astris
Motto Translation: What is brighter than the stars?

Suggested Readings for the name Bailey +

  • The Bailey Family: History and Genealogy of Descendants of Richard Bailey of Rowley, Massachusetts who came to Michigan by way of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York: 1635-1990 by Jeanne Bailey Ransom.
  • Ancestors and Descendants of AugustusRudolph and Lucy Hosmer Smith of Elmore, Vermont by Mariam Parr.
  1. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  2. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  3. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  8. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  17. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  18. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  19. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm

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