TASKER
Tasker is a surname of English origin and belongs to the class of occupational names. The name first emerged in the British Isles, specifically in England, where its bearer was generally a person who was involved in assigning or supervising tasks, a role that was essential to the organisation of medieval agrarian and community life.
The earliest linguistic root of the surname is found in Middle English, where the word taskere referred to an individual who was responsible for setting tasks or duties. This occupational reference is further derived from the Anglo‑Norman French tasque, the Old French tasche, and the Latin taxa, all of which suggest assessment or charging. In Middle English this became taske, meaning task or assessment, and this was adopted as a surname by those who performed piece‑work, especially in the agricultural domain where they would thresh corn or undertake other temporary duties.
Historical records support the antiquity of the surname. The first documented spelling appears in 1279 as John le Tasker, who was listed as a witness in the Assize Court Rolls of Northumberland during the reign of King Edward I, known in British history as “the Hammer of the Scots”. Such early documentation confirms that the name was already in use as a hereditary designation in medieval England.
In the late sixteenth century, parish registers record several individuals bearing the name. On 1 July 1582 Elizabeth Glover married James Tasker at St. Olave’s, Hart Street; on 3 February 1583 Jarrerd Tasker wed Frauncis Turnough at St. Gregory by St. Paul; and on 1 November 1589 Thomas Tasker was christened at St. Andrew Hubbard with St. Mary at Hill. These entries illustrate the continued use of the name in the London area during this period.
In the nineteenth century, a notable member of the family was Mary Tasker, aged nineteen, a famine emigrant who sailed from London aboard the “Prince‑Albert” bound for New York on 23 June 1846. This migration record demonstrates that, as in other parts of the world, members of the Tasker family were affected by the social and economic forces of the time, yet the surname remained unchanged in its spelling.
Today, Tasker is still encountered as a hereditary surname throughout the English‑speaking world. Its occupational origins, rooted in the medieval practice of task‑setting and piece‑work, reflect a historical social structure in which individuals were identified not only by lineage but also by the roles they performed within their communities. The surname thus offers a window into the everyday lives of early English agriculturists and their organisational customs.
Typical given names associated with the Tasker surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Tasker in...
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Morse
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Tasker are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Choco Leibniz.
There are approximately 5,744 people named Tasker in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,648th most common surname in Britain. Around 88 in a million people in Britain are named Tasker.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Tasker
- Joe Tasker - Mountain climber (1948 to 1982)
- Elizabeth J. Tasker - Astronomer
- Robert Tasker - Politician (1868 to 1959)
- Alfred Tasker - Cricketer
- John Tasker - County cricketer (1887 to 1975)
- Bruce Tasker - Bobsledder
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.