How to say it
BA · ker
ˈbeɪ.kɚ
Masculine
Baker
Bread-maker
What it means
English occupational surname from Old English bæcere ('baker, bread-maker'). Baker Street in London is the literary home of Sherlock Holmes; Chet Baker the jazz trumpeter and Josephine Baker the entertainer anchor the cultural reading.
Baker is an English occupational surname from the Old English bæcere ('baker'), one of the oldest documented English surnames. Baker Street, the London road named for the developer Edward Berkeley Portman, is the address of 221B Baker Street in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (1887 onward), giving the surname its strongest literary anchor. Chet Baker the American jazz trumpeter (1929-1988, My Funny Valentine, Almost Blue), Josephine Baker the French American entertainer and civil-rights activist (1906-1975), and Baker Mayfield the NFL quarterback (born 1995) anchor different cultural reference points. As a US first name Baker is modern, basically post-2010. It entered the US top 1000 in 2017. Common short: Bake.
How to spell Baker
The standard spelling is Baker. Common variants include Bakar, Bekker, but Baker is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #217 in 2025, currently #217 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes) is the deepest literary anchor; Chet Baker covers the jazz reference; Josephine Baker the civil-rights one.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Chet Baker American jazz trumpeter, My Funny Valentine, 1929-1988
- Josephine Baker French American entertainer and civil-rights activist, 1906-1975
Spelling variants
- Bakar
- Bekker
Names with the same feeling
See Baker from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Baker mean?
- English occupational surname from Old English bæcere ('baker, bread-maker'). Baker Street in London is the literary home of Sherlock Holmes; Chet Baker the jazz trumpeter and Josephine Baker the entertainer anchor the cultural reading.
- What does Baker mean in English?
- In English, Baker means "Bread-maker." Baker is an English occupational surname from the Old English bæcere ('baker'), one of the oldest documented English surnames. Baker Street, the London road named for the developer Edward Berkeley Portman, is the address of 221B Baker Street in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (1887 onward), giving the surname its strongest literary anchor. Chet Baker the American jazz trumpeter (1929-1988, My Funny Valentine, Almost Blue), Josephine Baker the French American entertainer and civil-rights activist (1906-1975), and Baker Mayfield the NFL quarterback (born 1995) anchor different cultural reference points. As a US first name Baker is modern, basically post-2010. It entered the US top 1000 in 2017. Common short: Bake.
- How do you pronounce Baker?
- Baker is pronounced ˈbeɪ.kɚ. Say it as BA-ker, with the stress on the "ba" syllable.
- How do you spell Baker?
- The standard spelling is Baker. Common spelling variants include Bakar, Bekker.
- Is Baker a boy or girl name?
- Baker is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Baker?
- Baker ranked #217 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.