Fun Facts About the Name Baillie
- 409 babies named Baillie: U.S. records list 409 babies given the name Baillie from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Baillie Mean?
Baillie is a Scottish surname, also used as a given name. The surname comes from the Old French word bailli (also baillif), meaning 'bailiff, steward, or magistrate.' The French term derives from Medieval Latin baiulivus, from Latin baiulus, 'porter' or 'carrier' - a sense that shifted to an official who carries out orders or administers an estate or town. In Scotland the word became bailie, the title of a burgh magistrate with judicial and administrative duties. The surname Baillie was therefore an occupational or status name for someone who held or served in such an office. It is distinct from the English surname Bailey when that name comes from Old English elements meaning 'berry clearing'; the similar sounds reflect different origins.
Baillie Name History & Origins
The word bailli in medieval France denoted a royal officer who administered a district and supervised local officials. Through Anglo-Norman, bailiff entered English and Scots, where it named various stewards and local officers. In Scotland, a bailie was a magistrate of a royal burgh, often serving with the provost and town council; the office remained part of Scottish burgh government into the modern period. The hereditary surname Baillie developed from this office, and Scottish families such as the Baillies of Jerviswood and Lamington are known from historical records.
As a first name, Baillie is a transferred surname. It appears in the English-speaking world, particularly in Scotland and North America, and is used for both girls and boys. The spelling with final -ie is a Scottish form; related spellings include Bailie and Bailey, though Bailey can also have a separate topographic origin. A literary use of the title appears in Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy (1817), whose character Bailie Nicol Jarvie is a Glasgow magistrate; this is a fictional use of the office term, not an origin of the given name.
How Popular is the Name Baillie?
Baillie has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1991. Its best rank was #2,742 in 1991.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #13,388 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #15,251 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #17,157 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #15,249 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #11,597 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #12,755 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #18,024 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #17,523 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #8,977 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #7,884 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #10,543 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #8,370 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #7,005 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #4,667 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #5,456 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1998 | #3,232 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1997 | #3,165 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1996 | #4,601 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1995 | #7,102 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #6,015 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #5,226 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1992 | #4,862 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1991 | #2,742 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1990 | #3,721 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1989 | #4,687 | 19 | 0.0010% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Baillie Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Baillie's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Baillie's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.