Baker Surname

Meaning and origin of the surname Baker

Occupational surname derived from Old English bæcere, meaning 'bread baker' or 'keeper of a communal bakehouse'.

Historically and linguistically, Baker belongs to the English family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "BAY-kər".

United States Census frequency and ranking

In the official 2010 United States Census, Baker was recorded 419,586 times, ranking as the 44th most common surname in the nation.

This represents an incidence rate of approximately 142.24 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 703 residents.

Race and ethnicity distribution

According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Bakerreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.

History of the surname Baker

Baker originated as an Anglo-Saxon occupational surname derived from Old English bæcere ('baker', masculine agent noun from bacan, 'to bake'). In medieval feudal society, bread was the primary dietary staple, and the village bakehouse was a crucial communal institution, often owned by the lord of the manor, where specialized bakers prepared daily loaves for the local population.

The surname is documented across virtually every medieval English shire, appearing in early Latinized and Anglo-Norman forms such as William le Bakere in Hampshire in 1177 and Walter le Backere in Sussex in 1273. The feminine occupational form Baxter (from Old English bæcestre) also emerged prominently in Scotland and northern England.

Emigrants bearing the surname Baker arrived with the earliest seventeenth-century voyages to Jamestown and Plymouth Colony, spreading across the American colonies as prominent farmers, merchants, and civic leaders. Carried by cultural figures such as entertainer and civil rights pioneer Josephine Baker and baseball manager Dusty Baker, the surname ranked 44th nationwide in the 2010 US Census with 419,586 recorded bearers (142.24 per 100,000 Americans).

Notable people with the surname Baker

• Josephine Baker (1906–1975), American-born French dancer, singer, and civil rights activist
• Father Divine (1879–1965), African-American spiritual leader and civil rights advocate
• Dusty Baker (1949–), American Major League Baseball manager and World Series champion
• Simon Baker (1969–), Australian actor and Golden Globe nominee