National Baker Day – September 23, 2024

History of National Baker Day

The last name Baker is of Old English origin and was formed from the words ‘bakere’ and ‘baecere’ in Middle English. Furthermore, it comes from the term ‘bacan,’ which means ‘to dry by heat’ or ‘to bake.’ It originated before the eighth century and was primarily used as an occupational name for people who baked bread or bricks.

During the Middle Ages, most households baked their bread, so the popular belief is that the name was used to refer to the owner of a communal oven, who was in charge of baking bread for a community or village. This position is considered to have been a hereditary feudal privilege. Alternatively, the name might have been given to those noted for baking particularly fine bread or to bakers of pottery and bricks.

Moving from England, the name spread to the neighboring countries of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. It also reached the English-speaking nations of the Americas and Oceania, where it is now standard. People who bear this last name have recently used D.N.A. to trace their ancestry to the Scottish Clan MacMillan and other Celtic backgrounds. Different cultures possess similar variations, such as the German ‘Backer’ or ‘Becker,’ the Dutch ‘Bakker’ or ‘Backman,’ and the French’ Boulanger.’ In Scottish and Irish Gaelic, Baker is written as ‘Mac a’ Bhacstair.’

Baker is also a first name in the U.S., though the popularity level is low. Before 2018, it didn’t make the list of the 1,000 most popular male names. In 2018, it finally made the list, ranking at 712. This rank rose to 449 in 2021, with 678 births matching the name in that year.