Baker


Select Baker Surname Genealogy

Baker and Baxter come from the Middle English bakere, meaning "to bake," with Baxter being mainly to be found in the north of England and in Scotland.  This occupational name could refer to someone whose special responsibility in the kitchen of a manorial house was the baking of bread.  Alternatively, the baker might refer to the owner of a communal oven used by the village (as peasants generally could not bake their own bread).  Later, in London and other towns, the public baker was a substantial tradesman.

The German Backer or Becker may also have become Baker in America.

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Sir John Baker
of Sissinghurst in Kent served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Henry VIII.
Jim Baker of Scots-Irish roots was one of the colorful frontiersman of the Old West.
Benjamin Baker was an eminent Victorian civil engineer, most known for his design and building of the Forth Bridge in Scotland.
Sir Samuel Baker was a Victorian big game hunter and explorer of the Nile and the interior of central Africa.
Josephine Baker, an African American singer and dancer, made her name in Paris in the 1920's and 1930's.
James Baker from Houston in Texas was Chief of Staff for both President Reagan and Bush.

Select Bakers Today
  • 105,000 in the UK (most numerous in Merseyside)
  • 133,000 in America (most numerous in Texas)
  • 82,000 elsewhere (most numerous in Canada)