Origin and history of Baxter

Old English bacan "to bake, to cook by dry heat in a closed place or on a heated surface," from Proto-Germanic *bakan "to bake" (source also of Old Norse baka, Middle Dutch backen, Old High German bahhan, German backen), from PIE *bheg- (source also of Greek phogein "to roast"), extended form of root *bhē- "to warm" (see bath). Related: Baked (Middle English had baken); baking. Baked beans is attested by 1803.

late 14c., spinnestre, "woman who spins, female spinner of thread," from spin (v.) + -stere, feminine suffix (see -ster). Unmarried women were expected to occupy themselves with spinning, hence in documents from 1600s to early 1900s the word came to be "the legal designation in England of all unmarried women from a viscount's daughter downward" [Century Dictionary], and by 1719 was being used generically for a woman still unmarried and beyond the usual age for it.

Spinster, a terme, or an addition in our Common Law, onely added in Obligations, Euidences, and Writings, vnto maids vnmarried. [John Minsheu, "Ductor in Linguas," 1617]

Strictly in reference to those who spin, spinster also was used of both sexes (compare webster, Baxter, brewster) and so a double-feminine form emerged, spinstress "a female spinner" (1640s), which by 1716 also was being used for "a maiden lady." Related: Spinsterhood; spinsterdom; spinstership. The 19c. slang shortening spin is attested from 1842.

Old English -istre, from Proto-Germanic *-istrijon, feminine agent suffix used as the equivalent of masculine -ere (see -er (1)). Also used in Middle English to form nouns of action (meaning "a person who ...") without regard for gender.

The genderless agent noun use apparently was a broader application of the original feminine suffix, beginning in the north of England, but linguists disagree over whether this indicates female domination of weaving and baking trades, as represented in surnames such as Webster, Baxter, Brewster, etc. (though modern spinster probably carries an originally female ending). For Dempster, see deem (v.).

Also compare whitester "one who bleaches cloth;" kempster (c. 1400; Halliwell has it as kembster) "woman who cleans wool." Chaucer ("Merchant's Tale") has chidester "an angry woman" (the 17c. had scoldster). "Piers Plowman" (late 14c.) has waferster "woman who bakes or sells wafers." A c. 1400 psalter has yongling tabourester "girl drummer" (for Latin puellarum tympanistriarum).

Also compare Middle English shepster (late 14c.) "dressmaker, female cutter-out," literally "shapester," sleestere (mid-15c.) "murderess, female killer" ("slay-ster"). Sewster "seamstress" (Middle English seuestre, late 13c. as a surname, also used of men) is still in Jonson but was obsolete or provincial after 17c.

In Modern English, the suffix has been productive in forming derivative nouns such as gamester (compare gamer), roadster, punster, rodster "angler," throwster "gambler," etc. But still with consciousness of sex; Thackeray (1850) has jocular spokester "female speaker or spokesman." Tonguester "talkative, loquacious person" seems to be a nonce-word (1871). "American Speech" in 1935 reported that "Singers are now tunesters to advertising writers for vaudeville and other entertainments." A 1798 dictionary of thieves' jargon has yapster "a dog."