UK surname
An occupational surname referring to a baker or someone who bakes bread and other goods.
In the 1881 census there were 176 people recorded with the Backer surname, ranking it #13,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #13,930 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Henham, St Dunstan Stepney and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Backer is 512 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 44.3%.
1881 census count
176
Ranked #13,930
Modern count
98
2016, ranked #31,470
Peak year
1861
512 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Backer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Backer surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 225 | #9,509 |
| 1861 | historical | 512 | #5,112 |
| 1881 | historical | 176 | #13,930 |
| 1891 | historical | 275 | #11,847 |
| 1901 | historical | 152 | #17,916 |
| 1911 | historical | 125 | #19,932 |
| 1997 | modern | 56 | #32,004 |
| 1998 | modern | 72 | #30,775 |
| 1999 | modern | 72 | #30,955 |
| 2000 | modern | 63 | #31,829 |
| 2001 | modern | 59 | #32,080 |
| 2002 | modern | 69 | #31,527 |
| 2003 | modern | 64 | #32,056 |
| 2004 | modern | 66 | #32,079 |
| 2005 | modern | 70 | #31,912 |
| 2006 | modern | 69 | #32,343 |
| 2007 | modern | 74 | #32,190 |
| 2008 | modern | 73 | #32,555 |
| 2009 | modern | 81 | #32,172 |
| 2010 | modern | 83 | #32,396 |
| 2011 | modern | 75 | #33,071 |
| 2012 | modern | 83 | #32,611 |
| 2013 | modern | 88 | #32,349 |
| 2014 | modern | 92 | #32,132 |
| 2015 | modern | 90 | #32,245 |
| 2016 | modern | 98 | #31,470 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Henham, St Dunstan Stepney, St Leonard Bromley, Manchester and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henham | Hertfordshire |
| 2 | St Dunstan Stepney | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | St Leonard Bromley | London (East Districts) |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Backer surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Backer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Backer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Backer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Backer is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Backer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Backer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Backer has its origins in the Middle Dutch language and is derived from the occupational term "bakker," which means "baker" in English. This name first emerged in the Low Countries, present-day Belgium and the Netherlands, during the 13th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Backer can be traced back to medieval Dutch and Flemish records from the 13th and 14th centuries. These include references in tax rolls, guild records, and municipal archives from cities like Amsterdam, Bruges, and Ghent.
In the 15th century, the name Backer appeared in the famous Boke of Noblesse, a manuscript compiled by the Dutch herald Gelre in 1475. This work documented the coats of arms and lineages of noble families in the Low Countries.
One notable individual bearing the Backer surname was Jan Backer, a Dutch painter from the Baroque period who lived from 1609 to 1651. He was a prominent figure in the Haarlem School of painting and is known for his portraits and genre scenes.
Another historical figure was Jacob Adriaensz Backer, a Dutch Golden Age painter who lived from 1608 to 1651. He was a student of Rembrandt and is celebrated for his group portraits and biblical scenes.
In the 17th century, the Backer name spread beyond the Low Countries as Dutch settlers and traders traveled to other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, Dirck Jansen Backer was a Dutch colonist who settled in New Netherland (present-day New York) in the 1630s.
The Backer surname also has roots in England, where it may have been derived from the Old English word "bakere," meaning "baker." One early recorded instance is from the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus le Bakere in Gloucestershire.
In Scotland, the Backer surname can be traced back to the 16th century. One notable figure was John Backer, a Scottish mathematician and astrologer who lived from 1555 to 1619. He served as a professor at the University of St Andrews and published works on astronomy and astrology.
As the Backer name spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Bakker, Bäcker, and Becker, reflecting regional linguistic differences and local dialects.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Backer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 40 Backers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.41x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 40 | 2.41x |
| Yorkshire | 25 | 1.52x |
| Lancashire | 19 | 0.97x |
| Essex | 18 | 5.50x |
| Staffordshire | 11 | 1.97x |
| Devon | 9 | 2.61x |
| Durham | 7 | 1.42x |
| Surrey | 6 | 0.74x |
| Derbyshire | 4 | 1.54x |
| Kent | 4 | 0.71x |
| Lanarkshire | 4 | 0.75x |
| Aberdeenshire | 3 | 1.95x |
| Sussex | 3 | 1.07x |
| Midlothian | 2 | 0.90x |
| Norfolk | 2 | 0.78x |
| Oxfordshire | 2 | 1.95x |
| Somerset | 2 | 0.75x |
| Caernarfonshire | 1 | 1.49x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.27x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.35x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 0.31x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 0.87x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0.64x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 0.45x |
| Shropshire | 1 | 0.70x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Romford in Essex leads with 9 Backers recorded in 1881 and an index of 174.08x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Backer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 10 |
| Elizabeth | 7 |
| Annie | 4 |
| Emma | 4 |
| Jane | 4 |
| Sarah | 4 |
| Ann | 3 |
| Hannah | 3 |
| Caroline | 2 |
| Clara | 2 |
| Henrietta | 2 |
| Martha | 2 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Allice | 1 |
| Anna | 1 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Bessie | 1 |
| Bey | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Charity | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Clare | 1 |
| Dora | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Eliza | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Ellen | 1 |
| Elsa | 1 |
| Emmelia | 1 |
| Eunice | 1 |
| Florrence | 1 |
| Fredrica | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Hilda | 1 |
| Josephine | 1 |
| Lilly | 1 |
| Lizzia | 1 |
| Lizzie | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| Maggie | 1 |
| Maud | 1 |
| Phoebe | 1 |
| Priscilla | 1 |
| Selina | 1 |
| Sicily | 1 |
| Wilhelmine | 1 |
| Winifred | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Backer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 11 |
| George | 7 |
| James | 5 |
| John | 5 |
| Charles | 4 |
| Arthur | 3 |
| Edward | 3 |
| Henry | 3 |
| Edwin | 2 |
| Ernest | 2 |
| Walter | 2 |
| Abraham | 1 |
| Adolf | 1 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| August | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Bloutine | 1 |
| Bryon | 1 |
| Christian | 1 |
| Conrad | 1 |
| David | 1 |
| Eli | 1 |
| Francis | 1 |
| Frank | 1 |
| Fred | 1 |
| Freddy | 1 |
| Frederick | 1 |
| Joshua | 1 |
| Mark | 1 |
| Miles | 1 |
| Otto | 1 |
| Peter | 1 |
| Poncas | 1 |
| Richard | 1 |
| Robert | 1 |
| Rosa | 1 |
| Sevnel | 1 |
| Thomas | 1 |
| Tom | 1 |
| Wm. | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Backer households.
FAQ
In 1881, 176 people were recorded with the Backer surname. That placed it at #13,930 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Backer a modern rank of #31,470.
An occupational surname referring to a baker or someone who bakes bread and other goods.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Backer bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.