BAUER
Bauer is a surname of German origin, derived from the Middle-High German word bure or bauer, meaning farmer or peasant. It is therefore an occupational surname that was traditionally affixed to individuals whose work involved the cultivation of land or the ownership of agricultural property. The name records a clear ancestral connection to the farming profession and signals an attachment to the land on which the bearer lived.
Early medieval usage of the surname is ambiguous, as it may function as a status name for a small farmer or as a nickname signifying neighbour or fellow citizen. In Middle-High German the term denoted an occupier of a bur, a small dwelling or cottage, thereby implying a neighbourhood relation. Later, however, the same word merged with the Middle-High German buwaeere, an agent noun derived from Old-High German buan meaning to cultivate. Consequently, the surname came to signify a peasant farmer who relied on cottage industry or agricultural labour for subsistence.
Documentary evidence of the name can be found in several German registers. In 1520, the birth of Andreas, son of Endres Bauer, was recorded at Arnsfeld, Chemnitz, Sachsen. The marriage of Andreas Bauer to Ursula Meyher took place in Neundorf, Chemnitz, Sachsen on 4 April 1587. The earliest recorded spelling of the family name is attributed to Johanne Bower of Greifswald in 1354, as cited in Dr. H. Nuske's work Die Greifswalder Familiennamen des 13/14 Jahrh, during the reign of Charles IV of Luxembourg, Holy Roman Emperor (1347–1378).
The surname is also depicted in heraldic tradition. A coat of arms granted to the Bauer family of Loeben is recorded in Rietstap's Armorial General, and it illustrates a peasant clad in black, holding a flail in each hand against a gold field. Another version shows a deer rampant proper on a green terrace against an azure field; a green trefoil is added below the deer, and a gold star appears in the dexter chief. These images reflect the surname’s origins in the peasant class and embody the historical associations of the name.
Typical given names associated with the Bauer surname
Male
- Andreas
- Andrew
- Christian
- Christopher
- David
- Jack
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Peter
- Thomas
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Julie
- Kathryn
- Linda
- Mary
- Natalie
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Baehr
- Baer
- Bahra
- Bara
- Barar
- Barau
- Baraw
- Barer
- Baror
- Barrau
- Barraw
- Barrer
- Barrera
- Barrere
- Barrero
- Barrier
- Barriere
- Baryer
- Bauder
- Baue
- Bauerek
- Bauerle
- Bauers
- Baugher
- Bauker
- Bauler
- Baumer
- Bauner
- Baur
- Baura
- Baurer
- Bauser
- Bauter
- Bauxer
- Bawer
- Bawery
- Bawor
- Beara
- Bearer
- Beere
- Berau
- Berrie
- Birau
- Boarer
- Boor
- Borer
- Borrie
- Bourer
- Bouwer
- Bower
- Bowers
- Bowyer
- Broe
- Bura
- Burau
- Buree
- Burei
- Burer
- Burgher
- Burr
- Burree
- Burrer
- Burrier
- Burrower
- Buryer
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bauer in...
Braille
⠃⠁⠥⠑⠗
Morse
-....-..-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,000 people named Bauer in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,383rd most common surname in Britain. Around 15 in a million people in Britain are named Bauer.
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Germany
Language of origin: German
Famous people named Bauer
- Steven Bauer - American actor
- Cate Bauer - Actress
- Peter Thomas Bauer - Economist (1915 to 2002)
- Belinda Bauer - Writer
- Harold Bauer - Pianist (1873 to 1951)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.