Meaning: Its source is an Old English expression meaning "A bailiff or administrative officer."

Narrative: This may have originated as a local name for someone who lived near a ''bailey'' (a city fortification), or it might derive from beg leah, meaning ''wood clearing.''

Meaning: Its source is an Old English expression meaning "A bailiff or administrative officer."

Narrative: This name may have originated as a local name for someone who lived near a ''bailey'' (a city fortification). Or it might derive from beg leah, meaning wood clearing.