7 ms·

Perhaps correlation but not causation ... I wonder if historically "Baker" was used for people who were of the profession baker? It is well known that certain

Perhaps correlation but not causation ... I wonder if historically "Baker" was used for people who were of the profession baker? It is well known that certain genetic characteristics may pre-dispose people to go to certain professions. So having the name "Baker" would imply you are descended or contain the genes of people who historically baked. This factor alone may pre-dispose you to becoming a baker moreso than any psychological effects. It's a lot easier to see when you look at the children of painters, musicians etc tending to go towards the arts.

ggggtez 11y ago
Yes, names come in 4 major varieties. Places, professions, ancestors, and qualities.
prawn 11y ago
Yes, the surname "Baker" would've originally been a baker. There are a variety of occupational surnames that you can quickly recognise: Potter, Cooper, Cook, Miller, Fisher, Carter, Tailor, Smith. As well as a few -smith specific ones: Green, Silver, Gold, White, Black, Brown - all having origins in things like working with tin (whitesmith), copper (greensmith) or silver, etc. I doubt that genetic disposition would be a strong factor given that the skills for these various physical lines of work would be fairly similar.
- Nadya 11y ago
  Not to mention variations on spelling! Tailor->Taylor, Cook->Cooke, Fisher->Phisher. [Name] of [Father/Town/Clan] were also all common. "John of Connor" (John, fathered by Connor) German: Hans von Duisburg (Hans from the city of Duisburg) (Feudal) Japanese: 藤原鎌足 (Fujiwara of the Kamatari clan) Then, as mentioned by another user, some names were given based on characteristics or parents' wishes of the future. Russian: Неулыба (One who does not smile) Or even the location of where your family lived ("place names"): Japanese (again): 田中 (center/middle field), 中村 (center of village), 山本 (base of the mountain).
  - sdrothrock 11y ago
    > (Feudal) Japanese: 藤原鎌足 (Fujiwara of the Kamatari clan) Another neat thing about Japanese surnames is that you can typically tell which families were retainers etc. for the Fujiwara by the presence of the character 藤 (the "Fuji" in Fujiwara, often read "toh" in other names) in names like the very common 佐藤 (Satoh).
- sudojudo 11y ago
  Exactly. Trade related surnames weren't forged over generations, they were given to, or forced upon, one person in a specific time and location. * Farmer was a tax collector (fermier), where Franklin was a successful farmer who owned land. * Brewster and Baxter were women brewers, not much opportunity for a long line of those. * Fuller had an ancestor who pounded wool and clay with a hammer, they took the place of people who did it with their feet, the Walkers. It's fun to think about, especially for those who have a name like Faulkner. But, many of these trades/technologies were a flash-in-the-pan that lasted just a few generations (e.g. Parsons, Warner, Stoddard), during a time when western civilization was incredibly unstable.
mc32 11y ago
Baxter as well designated people who prepared baked goods. Shoemaker and cobbler. Sometimes there were multiple words for a given occupation.

ggggtez 11y ago

Yes, names come in 4 major varieties. Places, professions, ancestors, and qualities.

prawn 11y ago

Yes, the surname "Baker" would've originally been a baker. There are a variety of occupational surnames that you can quickly recognise: Potter, Cooper, Cook, Miller, Fisher, Carter, Tailor, Smith. As well as a few -smith specific ones: Green, Silver, Gold, White, Black, Brown - all having origins in things like working with tin (whitesmith), copper (greensmith) or silver, etc. I doubt that genetic disposition would be a strong factor given that the skills for these various physical lines of work would be fairly similar.

Nadya 11y ago
Not to mention variations on spelling! Tailor->Taylor, Cook->Cooke, Fisher->Phisher. [Name] of [Father/Town/Clan] were also all common. "John of Connor" (John, fathered by Connor) German: Hans von Duisburg (Hans from the city of Duisburg) (Feudal) Japanese: 藤原鎌足 (Fujiwara of the Kamatari clan) Then, as mentioned by another user, some names were given based on characteristics or parents' wishes of the future. Russian: Неулыба (One who does not smile) Or even the location of where your family lived ("place names"): Japanese (again): 田中 (center/middle field), 中村 (center of village), 山本 (base of the mountain).
- sdrothrock 11y ago
  > (Feudal) Japanese: 藤原鎌足 (Fujiwara of the Kamatari clan) Another neat thing about Japanese surnames is that you can typically tell which families were retainers etc. for the Fujiwara by the presence of the character 藤 (the "Fuji" in Fujiwara, often read "toh" in other names) in names like the very common 佐藤 (Satoh).
sudojudo 11y ago
Exactly. Trade related surnames weren't forged over generations, they were given to, or forced upon, one person in a specific time and location. * Farmer was a tax collector (fermier), where Franklin was a successful farmer who owned land. * Brewster and Baxter were women brewers, not much opportunity for a long line of those. * Fuller had an ancestor who pounded wool and clay with a hammer, they took the place of people who did it with their feet, the Walkers. It's fun to think about, especially for those who have a name like Faulkner. But, many of these trades/technologies were a flash-in-the-pan that lasted just a few generations (e.g. Parsons, Warner, Stoddard), during a time when western civilization was incredibly unstable.

mc32 11y ago

Baxter as well designated people who prepared baked goods. Shoemaker and cobbler. Sometimes there were multiple words for a given occupation.