The name Bailey is of Old English origin and means "fortification," and also French origin and means "bailiff." It's derived from a surname, which was comprised of the Middle English word baili, meaning "bailiff."

The Old English word “baili” is the origin of the name Bailey. It means “bailiff, porter, or messenger.” Many people who worked as a bailiff were given Bailey as a surname. Others whose home was close to or in a bailey began to carry the name.

bailey (n.) Middle English baylle, "wall enclosing an outer court" of a castle, fortified city, etc. (c. 1200 in Anglo-Latin, late 13c. in place-names), a variant of bail, from Old French bail "stake, palisade, brace," which is of unknown origin, perhaps ultimately connected to Latin bacula "sticks," on notion of "stakes, palisade fence."

What does Bailey mean? Bailey ▼ as a boys' name (also used more widely as girls' name Bailey) is pronounced BAY-lee. It is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Bailey is "berry clearing; bailiff; city fortification". Place name and transferred use of the surname.

bailey noun bai·​ley ˈbā-lē plural baileys 1 : the outer wall of a castle or any of several walls surrounding the keep 2 : a courtyard within the external wall or between two outer walls of a castle