Bader
A German surname that can mean either “bathhouse keeper/bather” or, in some families, descend from an old Germanic personal name.
The #3,854 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,570 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In most cases, Bader comes from German "Bad," meaning a bath or bathhouse, plus the agent noun ending "-er"—so it originally referred to someone connected with bathing, especially a bath attendant or bathhouse owner. In older German usage, a Bader could also be a barber-surgeon, since bathhouses often handled shaving and minor medical care as well. Some scholars also noted a separate possibility from an old Germanic personal name such as Bathari/Badheri, so not every family with this surname necessarily shares the same origin.
History
The surname is well attested in German-speaking areas and is common in central and southern Germany, with related forms spread more widely in the German diaspora. Historical writers noted both the occupational sense and the possibility of an inherited name from early Germanic given names, so the surname may have independent origins in different families. In English-language records it often appears unchanged as Bader, though related spellings such as Baader and Badder occur.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older sources link the job of a Bader not just to bathing, but sometimes to shaving and basic medical care too—part of the old world of the bathhouse.
From the historical record
“B. Baader s. a) L Bad (V.) b) DI. Bader. Baake s. 1) Bag 2) Bald (einst. K.). Baar« s. Bora (V., einst. K.).”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen