NameCensus.

UK surname

Bail

A French occupational surname referring to a steward or manager of an estate.

In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Bail surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 168, ranked #21,984, down from #13,840 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wingrave with Rowsham, Drayton Beauchamp, Buckland and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight and Watford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bail is 241 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.6%.

1881 census count

178

Ranked #13,840

Modern count

168

2016, ranked #21,984

Peak year

1861

241 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bail had 178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,840 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 168 in 2016, ranked #21,984.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 241 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bail surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bail surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bail surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bail over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 194 #10,662
1861 historical 241 #10,192
1881 historical 178 #13,840
1891 historical 194 #15,277
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 127 #24,178
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 135 #24,123
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 138 #24,801
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 161 #22,521
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 168 #21,971
2016 modern 168 #21,984

Geography

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Where Bails are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wingrave with Rowsham, Drayton Beauchamp, Buckland, Paddington, Watford and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Watford, Three Rivers and Guildford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Wingrave with Rowsham, Drayton Beauchamp, Buckland Buckinghamshire
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 Watford Hertfordshire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 004 North Hertfordshire
2 Isle of Wight 001 Isle of Wight
3 Watford 001 Watford
4 Three Rivers 002 Three Rivers
5 Guildford 004 Guildford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bail

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bail surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bail

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bail, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bail surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bail household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bail is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bail is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bail falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bail is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bail, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bail

The surname BAIL is of French origin, originating in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "baille", which means "enclosure" or "outer wall". The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with enclosures or outer walls, such as a gatekeeper or a bailiff.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bail" and "Baille". During the Middle Ages, the name was also spelled as "Baille", "Baile", and "Bayll".

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Bail, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. Another early bearer was Robert Bail, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

In the 14th century, the name Bail was associated with several place names in England, such as Baildon in West Yorkshire and Bailrigg in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "bæl", meaning "a fire or beacon".

A notable person with the surname Bail was John Bail, a 15th-century English merchant and alderman of London, who was born in 1422 and died in 1492.

Another significant figure was Thomas Bail, a 16th-century English clergyman and religious reformer, who was born in 1499 and died in 1563. He played a crucial role in the English Reformation and was a close associate of Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the 17th century, the name Bail was associated with Sir William Bail, an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the 1620s.

In the 18th century, John Bail, a British architect and surveyor, was born in 1725 and died in 1806. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the St. Pancras Church.

In the 19th century, Charles Wyndham Bail, an English author and journalist, was born in 1845 and died in 1921. He wrote several books on historical and literary subjects and was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bail families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bail surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 48 Bails recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 48 2.76x
Hertfordshire 24 20.06x
Kent 24 4.05x
Leicestershire 21 10.91x
Yorkshire 16 0.93x
Buckinghamshire 7 6.67x
Essex 7 2.04x
Lancashire 7 0.34x
Monmouthshire 7 5.58x
Berkshire 5 3.84x
Glamorgan 3 0.99x
Devon 2 0.55x
Hampshire 2 0.56x
Derbyshire 1 0.37x
Gloucestershire 1 0.29x
Oxfordshire 1 0.93x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x
Surrey 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Paddington London in Middlesex leads with 11 Bails recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.23x.

Place Total Index
Paddington London 11 17.23x
St Marylebone London 10 10.79x
Tottenham 9 32.55x
Honley 8 265.78x
Abergavenny 7 148.94x
Aldenham 7 642.20x
Buckland 7 1372.55x
Leicester St Margaret 7 14.91x
Maidstone 6 34.01x
Orpington 6 331.49x
Watford 6 64.66x
Charlton 5 127.23x
St Albans St Peter 5 123.76x
Thringstone 5 675.68x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 4 68.03x
Hackney London 4 4.11x
Hemel Hempstead 4 74.21x
Islington London 4 2.38x
West Ham 4 5.29x
Syston 3 166.67x
Theydon Garnon 3 384.62x
Bromley 2 22.15x
Clewer 2 37.45x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 34.90x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 5.72x
Leicester St Martin 2 155.04x
Liverpool 2 1.60x
New Windsor 2 45.66x
St Luke London 2 7.18x
St Mary Extra 2 69.93x
Swansea St Thomas 2 65.79x
Ashford 1 17.33x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 17.04x
Barkby 1 270.27x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.57x
Beerferris 1 142.86x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.33x
Brightside Bierlow 1 2.96x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 3.12x
Cannock 1 9.78x
Cardiff St Mary 1 6.01x
Chelsea London 1 1.91x
Cheshunt 1 23.92x
Chislehurst 1 31.45x
Harrow 1 37.74x
Hatherleigh 1 111.11x
Hayes 1 56.50x
Hinckley 1 21.88x
Hindley 1 11.39x
Hulme 1 2.33x
Lambeth 1 0.66x
Mickleover 1 119.05x
Sandhurst 1 39.68x
Sandwich St Clement 1 200.00x
Sheffield 1 1.83x
Shoreditch London 1 1.33x
St Albans 1 40.82x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 13.30x
St George Martyr London 1 28.41x
St Gregory By St Pauls 1 232.56x
Standish With Langtree 1 39.37x
Stanton St John 1 303.03x
Swannington 1 140.85x
Thurmaston 1 294.12x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bail surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 7
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Emma 3
Martha 3
A. 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Leah 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Bess 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Christianna 1
Clara 1
Dora 1
Emley 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
I. 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Maria 1
Nancy 1
Nellie 1
Nelly 1
Pliner 1
Rachel 1
Rosa 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bail surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 13
William 11
Henry 7
Charles 4
George 4
James 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Jesse 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Benjamin 1
Denis 1
Ernest 1
Eyor 1
Frank 1
G. 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
J. 1
Jim 1
Jno. 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sam. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
W. 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bail surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bail surname in 1881?

In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Bail surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bail surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 168 in 2016. That gives Bail a modern rank of #21,984.

What does the Bail surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to a steward or manager of an estate.

What does the Bail map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bail bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.