indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from occupation)
Usage English
Other Forms FormsBayliss, Bayless, Baylles, Bailess, Baillis,
Meaning & History
Derived from the Middle English 'bail(l)i', a development of the Old French 'baillis'. In Scotland the word survives as 'bailie', the title of a chief magistrate for a part of a county or barony. The word survives in England as 'bailiff', an officer who serves writs and summonses for the court.