Baker


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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.

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England.  Baker is predominantly an English surname (the Scottish equivalent is Baxter).  Early Baker families were to be found in Kent and Sussex, most notably at Sissinghurst.  The 1600's saw prominent Bakers in the west country (at Buckland House near Taunton) and in the northeast (at Crook Hall near Newcastle).  The Baker surname was spread across the country.

America.  Some Bakers in America may be of German origin, the German Becker or Becher also meaning baker becoming Baker.  The most famous of these Beckers/Bakers was Jacob Baker, a surgeon in Washingon's army who supposedly left a fortune.  However, these Baker riches turned out to be a hoax. 

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Sir John Baker
of Sissinghurst in Kent served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Henry VIII.  Later he was known as Bloody Baker for his service to Bloody Queen Mary.
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)

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For other surnames check the companion selectsurname.com site where there are to be found the history and genealogy for more than 500 surnames.

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