Bayleigh is a modern respelling of Bailey, an English surname that comes from the Old French bailli and means "bailiff" or "steward", the official who ran an estate or a court. The -leigh ending follows the pattern of names like Kayleigh and Everleigh. Bayleigh entered the US top 1000 only once, at number 939 in 2012, and has slipped steadily since, from number 1068 in 2015 to number 2332 in 2025.