NameCensus.

UK surname

Bailes

An English occupational surname referring to a steward or official in charge of a royal or noble household.

In the 1881 census there were 575 people recorded with the Bailes surname, ranking it #6,056 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,022, ranked #5,700, up from #6,056 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Epping, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Harrogate and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bailes is 1,062 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.7%.

1881 census count

575

Ranked #6,056

Modern count

1,022

2016, ranked #5,700

Peak year

1999

1,062 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bailes had 575 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,056 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,022 in 2016, ranked #5,700.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 938 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bailes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bailes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bailes 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 401 #6,031
1861 historical 507 #5,159
1881 historical 575 #6,056
1891 historical 648 #5,987
1901 historical 791 #5,692
1911 historical 938 #4,786
1997 modern 985 #5,570
1998 modern 1,057 #5,416
1999 modern 1,062 #5,428
2000 modern 1,021 #5,586
2001 modern 1,008 #5,549
2002 modern 1,044 #5,489
2003 modern 1,008 #5,558
2004 modern 1,005 #5,574
2005 modern 994 #5,583
2006 modern 973 #5,673
2007 modern 977 #5,713
2008 modern 990 #5,694
2009 modern 1,030 #5,634
2010 modern 1,059 #5,605
2011 modern 1,037 #5,645
2012 modern 1,026 #5,622
2013 modern 1,047 #5,623
2014 modern 1,051 #5,618
2015 modern 1,034 #5,657
2016 modern 1,022 #5,700

Geography

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Where Bailes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Epping, London parishes, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Harrogate, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland. 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 Epping Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Harrogate 005 Harrogate
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 026 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Sunderland 033 Sunderland
5 Harrogate 013 Harrogate

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bailes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bailes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bailes, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Bailes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bailes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bailes is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bailes 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

Bailes falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bailes 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 Bailes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bailes

The surname Bailes is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bæli," meaning a burning or a fire. This surname likely originated as a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a beacon or a place where fires were lit.

The earliest known record of the name Bailes can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Baillif" in the county of Warwickshire. This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the late 11th century.

In the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Bailles, Bayles, and Bailis, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Some early bearers of this surname include John Bailles, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1208, and Robert Bailes, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Bailes began to appear more frequently in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable bearer of this surname was John Bailes, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, who lived in the late 16th century.

Another individual of note was Sir Thomas Bailes, an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the early 17th century. He was born in 1585 and died in 1647.

In the 18th century, the Bailes surname was well-established in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Lincolnshire. One notable figure from this period was William Bailes, a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Old Treasury Building in Whitehall. He was born in 1724 and died in 1792.

Moving into the 19th century, the name Bailes continued to be found across England, with some bearers of the surname achieving notable achievements. One such individual was John Bailes, a prominent English poet and writer who was born in 1819 and died in 1888.

Another notable figure was Sir George Bailes, a British military officer and explorer who served in the Indian Army and was instrumental in the exploration and mapping of the Himalayas. He was born in 1842 and died in 1915.

While the surname Bailes is not among the most common in England, it has a long and rich history, with many notable bearers contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bailes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bailes 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. Durham leads with 192 Bailes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.73x.

County Total Index
Durham 192 11.73x
Yorkshire 117 2.15x
Middlesex 71 1.29x
Essex 57 5.25x
Northumberland 41 5.01x
Lancashire 17 0.26x
Kent 16 0.85x
Hertfordshire 12 3.16x
Surrey 12 0.45x
Leicestershire 5 0.82x
Bedfordshire 4 1.40x
Lincolnshire 4 0.45x
Gloucestershire 3 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.40x
Royal Navy 2 3.05x
Cumberland 1 0.21x
East Lothian 1 1.37x
Midlothian 1 0.14x
Monmouthshire 1 0.25x
Perthshire 1 0.41x
Suffolk 1 0.15x
Westmorland 1 0.83x
Worcestershire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 35 Bailes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.37x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 35 11.37x
Bishopwearmouth 32 22.78x
St Marylebone London 22 7.49x
Epping 20 453.51x
Framwellgate 20 206.19x
Stockton On Tees 20 25.35x
Staveley 15 2419.35x
Guisbrough 14 117.55x
Dawdon 12 59.61x
Byker 11 27.19x
Tunstall 11 134.97x
Elswick 10 15.31x
Gateshead 10 8.16x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 23.57x
Paddington London 10 4.94x
Tanfield 10 51.39x
Ulverston 10 52.60x
Darlington 9 14.24x
Kensworth 9 731.71x
Lofthouse 9 110.57x
St Pancras London 9 2.03x
Sunderland 9 31.13x
Ingerthorpe 8 8888.89x
Mile End Old Town London 8 6.83x
Newbottle 8 89.49x
Widford 8 1403.51x
Waltham Holy Cross 7 68.97x
Chelmsford 6 32.21x
Finchley 6 28.45x
Islington London 6 1.13x
Longbenton 6 17.31x
Monkwearmouth 6 38.29x
Pittington 6 130.43x
Walmer 6 73.53x
Brandon Byshottles 5 24.39x
Chigwell 5 48.78x
Durham St Nicholas 5 124.38x
Elvet 5 42.30x
Everton 5 2.40x
Hartlepool 5 21.50x
Kensington London 5 1.63x
Middlesbrough 5 7.04x
Rochester St Margaret 5 25.27x
Staunton Harold 5 1111.11x
Theydon Garnon 5 201.61x
Newington 4 1.97x
Normanby In 4 27.45x
Thornaby 4 19.64x
Wombwell 4 25.16x
Auckland St Andrew 3 69.44x
Battersea 3 1.48x
Crossgate 3 41.90x
Greenwich 3 3.43x
Harton 3 46.37x
Lambeth 3 0.63x
Luton 3 6.08x
Sculcoates 3 3.47x
Skelton In Guisbrough 3 20.34x
Holy Trinity 2 1.53x
Kirkdale 2 1.82x
Lutton 2 137.93x
Pannal 2 38.24x
Roecliffe 2 434.78x
Royal Navy 2 3.57x
South Shoebury 2 45.87x
South Weald 2 21.51x
Westoe 2 2.16x
Wingate 2 17.83x
Aldenham 1 28.99x
Bridewell Precinct London 1 188.68x
Chelsea London 1 0.60x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 6.98x
Flaxley 1 41.32x
Hampstead London 1 1.17x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 3.13x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.03x
St Mary 1 27.47x
Stoke 1 7.91x
Whorlton 1 77.52x
Yardley 1 5.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Elizabeth 29
Alice 13
Margaret 13
Sarah 13
Ann 12
Jane 12
Annie 9
Edith 8
Eliza 8
Ellen 8
Isabella 7
Florence 6
Kate 6
Hannah 5
Ada 4
Eleanor 4
Emily 4
Frances 4
Susan 4
Anne 3
Charlotte 3
Emma 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Caroline 2
Esther 2
Georgina 2
Harriet 2
Lilian 2
Lucy 2
Barbara 1
Catherine 1
Cecily 1
Clara 1
Dorah 1
Elisa 1
Elizbeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emme 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Hilda 1
Laura 1
Libby 1
Lizzy 1
M.Emma 1
Maggie 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 42
William 36
George 30
Thomas 29
Henry 13
Robert 13
James 12
Joseph 10
Richard 9
Charles 7
Edward 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Samuel 5
Frederick 4
Chas. 3
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Michael 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Caleb 1
Cooper 1
David 1
Elias 1
Frank 1
Fredric 1
Geo 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Harol 1
Hermann 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jessie 1
K.John 1
Mark 1
Norman 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Robinson 1
Stanley 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Bailes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bailes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 575 people were recorded with the Bailes surname. That placed it at #6,056 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bailes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,022 in 2016. That gives Bailes a modern rank of #5,700.

What does the Bailes surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a steward or official in charge of a royal or noble household.

What does the Bailes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bailes 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.