Bally

Bally is a term with multiple uses in geography, personal names, and commerce. In Irish toponymy, Bally derives from the Gaelic baile meaning town or settlement, and occurs as a common element in placenames across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Examples of the form include places that bear the name Bally alone or use it as a prefix, such as Ballymena and Ballycastle. The element appears in counties including Antrim, Cork, and Donegal and reflects historic settlement patterns.

Bally is also an Irish surname. As a family name it has spread to various countries through migration and can be found in historical and contemporary records.

Bally is the name of a Swiss luxury fashion house founded in 1851 by Carl Franz Bally in Schönenwerd, Switzerland. The brand began with footwear and leather goods and expanded into ready-to-wear and accessories, maintaining its reputation for craftsmanship and timeless design with a global network of stores.

Other uses of Bally appear in business names, geographic designations, and cultural references. The best-known uses are as a placename element, a surname, and a Swiss luxury brand.

See also: Bally (disambiguation) for other specific uses and places that share the same name.