Bailey/Baillie Surname Origin

Baillie, Bayley, Baley, Baly, Baily, Bellie & other spelling 
variations all appear to stem from the old French-Norman 
word baillis for administrator, official or steward which in 
turn goes back to the latin word balivus with a similar 
meaning. Persons who took that surname were non-royal 
Mayors, Judges, leaders of troops, constables etc. The 
first known was, Brithwin Brucellus, the village leader of 
Battle Abbey, named for the Abbey built by William the 
Conqueror to celebrate the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The spelling of Bayley became common in England as well
The family of the author's Mother used the Bayley spelling
in West Riding Yorkshire but two sons of that line, James &
Richard of Rowley, Essex County, MA used the Bailey spelling
in the mid 1630s.

The bailey is also the inner courtyard of a Norman motte
 & bailey castle. The motte being a mound on which
the keep was built & the bailey an inner courtyard where
the peasant's housing & workshops were situated. The
person in charge of the inner court yard and/or of the
laird's troops was called a bailey. The Celt word for
village was baile, bally in Ireland,which likely have the 
same Norman origins. It is believed that most, if not all,
Baillies took their names from the occupation of their
ancester as did their English Bailey "cousins".  Old Parish 
records contain the names of many Baillies whose 
unlettered ancestors allowed Parish clerks misspell their 
name as Bellie or Belly. This was the case for the author's 
great grandfather & several of his children including the 
author's grandfather although previous generations used 
Baillie.

 One version of the Scots Baillie surname origin purports 
that, during the reign of King Edward the first, a young 
bailey of Staffordshire killed his Lord in a dispute turned 
into a deadly duel. The victor was said to flee across the 
border into Scotland & took the name Baillie. Legend has 
it that Sir William Baliol changed the name of his son Sir 
William to Baillie in order to escape the "tender mercies" 
of the English King after King John Baliol of Scotland 
was defeated by the English, deposed to languish in the 
Tower of London. Most Baliol lands were forfeit.

Another associated "legend" has it that the wife of Sir William 
Baliol was the illegitimate daughter of Sir William Wallace 
(Braveheart) & Marian Braidfute. The son of Sir William 
Baliol was said to be Sir William Baillie of Hoprig who, 
according to many historians, was the first Baillie whose 
name appears in known records. The first appearance was 
as a juror in a 1311 (or 1312) inquest regarding forfeit 
lands in Lothian. In 1315 he was a witness to a charter by 
John de Graham, Lord of Albecorn. He was knighted in 
1357 & received a royal charter to the Barony of 
Lamington (sometimes called Lambiston).

The Bailies of Ireland were said to originate when a son of the 
Lamington, Lanarkshire line emigrated & dropped an "L" 
in the spelling of his name. During the reign of Queen 
Victoria, Mr. Baillie Cochran an MP (Member of 
Parliament) for the Isle of Wight  took it on himself to 
revitalize the village of Lamington, over a fifty year period 
from 1838. The Episcopal Chapel, "Holy Trinity", was 
part of that building process.  Lamington is often called 
the "Home of the Baillies".  In recent years the Biggar 
Museum Trust, Moat Park, Biggar, ML12 6DT, started a 
campaign to renovate the "Holy Trinity" & an 800+ year 
old church, Saint Ninians on whose grounds  many 
generations of Baillies were buried.
   
  

Thanks to   Frank Baillie 
1693 Rooseveit Ave SE. 
Port Orchard, WA  98366

for this great article.

References: 1, 3 & 4 WERE available via Barnes & Noble (1-800-242-6657)

(1) Collins "Scottish Clans & Families Encyclopedia" by George Way
  ISBN 0-00-470547-5 

(2) "The Bailey Family" by the American Genealogical Research 

Institute of Arlington, VA" 1972 ISBN unknown (Xerox copy help by
 Donna Beers & author of Baillie surnames above)

(3) "The Surnames of Scotland" by George Black   ISBN 1-874744-07-6

(4) "Scotland & Her Tartans" by Alexander Fulton ISBN 0-8317-7717-6