NameCensus.

UK surname

Baker

An occupational surname referring to a person who bakes bread or works in a bakery.

In the 1881 census there were 65,282 people recorded with the Baker surname, ranking it #36 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 87,926, ranked #43, down from #36 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Sedgemoor and West Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Baker is 93,400 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.7%.

1881 census count

65,282

Ranked #36

Modern count

87,926

2016, ranked #43

Peak year

1999

93,400 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Baker had 65,282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #36 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 87,926 in 2016, ranked #43.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 91,191 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Baker surname distribution map

The map shows where the Baker surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Baker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Baker over time

The 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 43,178 #35
1861 historical 45,154 #37
1881 historical 65,282 #36
1891 historical 70,532 #35
1901 historical 82,295 #35
1911 historical 91,191 #29
1997 modern 89,570 #37
1998 modern 92,859 #37
1999 modern 93,400 #37
2000 modern 92,650 #39
2001 modern 90,082 #39
2002 modern 91,592 #39
2003 modern 89,131 #39
2004 modern 88,929 #39
2005 modern 86,871 #40
2006 modern 86,375 #40
2007 modern 86,875 #40
2008 modern 87,325 #40
2009 modern 89,325 #40
2010 modern 91,106 #40
2011 modern 89,810 #40
2012 modern 87,943 #40
2013 modern 89,410 #40
2014 modern 89,683 #41
2015 modern 88,555 #42
2016 modern 87,926 #43

Geography

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Where Bakers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Sedgemoor and West Somerset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 012 Mendip
2 Sedgemoor 008 Sedgemoor
3 Sedgemoor 013 Sedgemoor
4 West Somerset 001 West Somerset
5 Sedgemoor 014 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Baker

These lists show first names that appear often with the Baker surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Baker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Baker, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Baker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Baker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Baker is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Baker is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Baker falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Baker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Baker, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Baker

The surname Baker is an occupational name that originated in England in the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "bakere," meaning a person who baked or prepared bread and other baked goods. The name's roots can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was found in various forms such as "le Bakere" and "le Bakestre."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baker surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mention a person named Hugh le Baker. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also list a Richard le Bakere, indicating the surname's widespread use during this time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and manors in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any specific references to the Baker surname. However, it does mention the occupation of bakers in various towns and villages, suggesting that the profession was well-established by the late 11th century.

The Baker surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Thomas Baker (1656-1740), an English antiquary and scholar who wrote extensively on the history of Cambridge University and its colleges. Another prominent figure was George Baker (1540-1612), an English lawyer and historian who served as the Recorder of London.

In the realm of literature, the Baker surname has been borne by authors such as Samuel Baker (1836-1893), an English explorer and writer best known for his travels in Africa, and James Addison Baker (1914-1995), an American novelist and playwright.

Other notable individuals with the Baker surname include Joseph Baker (1767-1838), a British engineer and inventor credited with developing the first successful submarine, and Sir Richard Baker (1568-1645), an English chronicler and historian who authored "A Chronicle of the Kings of England."

While the Baker surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, due to migration and the dispersion of English settlers over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Baker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Baker surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 8,893 Bakers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 8,893 1.39x
Surrey 5,190 1.66x
Kent 5,131 2.35x
Somerset 3,451 3.35x
Staffordshire 3,263 1.51x
Sussex 3,101 2.87x
Devon 2,942 2.21x
Yorkshire 2,923 0.46x
Lancashire 2,822 0.37x
Warwickshire 2,694 1.67x
Hampshire 2,319 1.77x
Essex 2,061 1.63x
Gloucestershire 1,969 1.57x
Suffolk 1,635 2.10x
Norfolk 1,460 1.48x
Worcestershire 1,171 1.40x
Lincolnshire 1,132 1.11x
Cheshire 1,009 0.71x
Wiltshire 887 1.57x
Derbyshire 810 0.81x
Durham 800 0.42x
Glamorgan 782 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 759 0.88x
Dorset 708 1.69x
Leicestershire 670 0.94x
Northamptonshire 604 1.00x
Oxfordshire 599 1.52x
Monmouthshire 598 1.29x
Hertfordshire 537 1.22x
Berkshire 492 1.02x
Cambridgeshire 489 1.21x
Shropshire 407 0.74x
Cornwall 394 0.54x
Northumberland 376 0.39x
Herefordshire 362 1.38x
Buckinghamshire 359 0.93x
Bedfordshire 329 0.99x
Channel Islands 279 1.47x
Huntingdonshire 200 1.57x
Lanarkshire 176 0.09x
Denbighshire 99 0.41x
Royal Navy 93 1.22x
Rutland 75 1.60x
Cumberland 58 0.11x
Midlothian 57 0.07x
Renfrewshire 50 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 37 0.18x
Angus 35 0.06x
Radnorshire 34 0.66x
Brecknockshire 31 0.24x
Westmorland 30 0.21x
Perthshire 24 0.08x
Anglesey 22 0.19x
Fife 22 0.06x
Argyllshire 19 0.11x
Stirlingshire 19 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 17 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 17 0.06x
Flintshire 17 0.10x
Ayrshire 15 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 13 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.05x
Dunbartonshire 7 0.04x
Isle of Man 6 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.04x
Berwickshire 4 0.05x
Wigtownshire 4 0.05x
Cardiganshire 3 0.02x
Merionethshire 3 0.03x
Inverness-shire 2 0.01x
Kincardineshire 2 0.03x
Banffshire 1 0.01x
Ross-shire 1 0.01x
Roxburghshire 1 0.01x
West Lothian 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 1,155 Bakers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.15x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 1,155 2.15x
Islington London 886 1.43x
Lambeth 828 1.48x
St Pancras London 800 1.55x
Aston 759 1.71x
Camberwell 677 1.66x
St Marylebone London 564 1.65x
Kensington London 563 1.58x
Brighton 531 2.44x
Hackney London 494 1.38x
Shoreditch London 427 1.54x
Bethnal Green London 418 1.50x
Battersea 411 1.74x
West Ham 396 1.42x
Portsea 378 1.47x
Newington 375 1.59x
Paddington London 315 1.34x
Mile End Old Town London 314 2.30x
Liverpool 308 0.67x
Sedgley 298 3.71x
Bermondsey 293 1.54x
Croydon 288 1.66x
Maidstone 283 4.35x
Stoke Upon Trent 283 1.24x
Tonbridge 272 3.45x
St George Hanover Square 269 2.39x
Deptford St Paul 248 1.47x
Bedminster 242 2.50x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 239 2.02x
Chelsea London 237 1.23x
Hammersmith London 222 1.41x
Rowley Regis 219 3.64x
Nottingham St Mary 218 0.98x
Kingswinford 216 2.75x
Folkestone 214 5.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 213 1.65x
Dudley 209 2.06x
West Bromwich 205 1.66x
Bromley London 204 1.45x
Tottenham 191 1.87x
Walsall Foreign 191 1.71x
Fulham London 190 2.05x
Clerkenwell London 170 1.13x
Plumstead 169 2.32x
Wolverhampton 166 1.00x
Southampton St Mary 165 2.00x
Willenhall 165 4.08x
Greenwich 154 1.51x
Poplar London 154 1.27x
Tipton 153 2.31x
West Derby 152 0.68x
Hampstead London 151 1.51x
Kings Norton 150 2.00x
Clapham 149 1.86x
Wellington 147 10.52x
Clifton 142 2.24x
St Luke London 142 1.38x
Lewisham 139 1.19x
Manchester 139 0.41x
Bridgewater 138 4.93x
Plymouth St Andrew 138 1.34x
St George In East London 135 2.24x
Woolwich 135 1.67x
Everton 134 0.55x
Leicester St Margaret 133 0.77x
Leeds 129 0.36x
Weston Super Mare 128 4.92x
Walcot 126 2.30x
Bilston 125 2.99x
Ecclesall Bierlow 125 0.97x
Harborne 125 1.81x
Cheltenham 124 1.28x
Kingston On Thames 124 1.66x
Oldbury 124 3.02x
Great Yarmouth 123 1.51x
Stoke Damerel 118 1.27x
Walthamstow 117 2.57x
Peterborough 115 2.64x
Broadwater 114 4.61x
Farnham 114 4.70x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Baker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 3,981
Elizabeth 2,514
Sarah 2,241
Eliza 1,161
Emma 1,161
Jane 1,160
Ann 1,153
Ellen 1,050
Alice 955
Annie 928
Emily 926
Hannah 609
Harriet 521
Louisa 517
Martha 503
Florence 464
Edith 458
Charlotte 435
Caroline 429
Maria 419
Fanny 371
Margaret 371
Kate 326
Ada 322
Lucy 311
Susan 292
Clara 289
Frances 268
Harriett 268
Catherine 266
Anne 237
Rose 232
Amelia 226
Agnes 212
Matilda 195
Sophia 171
Esther 163
Julia 163
Minnie 156
Rebecca 156
Amy 137
Susannah 126
Jessie 123
Lydia 123
Ethel 119
Laura 119
Isabella 117
Maud 112
Selina 112
Elizth. 109

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Baker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 4,165
John 3,415
George 2,550
Thomas 2,026
James 1,933
Charles 1,608
Henry 1,588
Joseph 938
Alfred 852
Robert 779
Edward 717
Frederick 701
Arthur 652
Albert 531
Richard 524
Samuel 519
Walter 496
Harry 425
Frank 323
Ernest 315
Edwin 293
Herbert 280
Benjamin 242
Francis 192
Wm. 187
David 173
Daniel 137
Thos. 132
Isaac 122
Stephen 121
Fred 117
Sidney 98
Fredk. 91
Tom 88
Fredrick 87
Geo. 86
Edmund 79
Percy 79
Philip 70
Mark 63
Sydney 60
Peter 59
Jesse 58
Chas. 53
Edgar 51
Horace 50
Abraham 48
Willm. 43
Jno. 42
Elijah 40

Top occupations

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 Baker households.

FAQ

Baker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Baker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 65,282 people were recorded with the Baker surname. That placed it at #36 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Baker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 87,926 in 2016. That gives Baker a modern rank of #43.

What does the Baker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who bakes bread or works in a bakery.

What does the Baker map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Baker bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.