Breaker Family History

Americanized form of Swiss German Bräker (see Braker). Americanized form (translation into English) of German Brecher.

English (Dorset and London): occupational name either for one who ‘breaks’ (i.e. combs or cards) wool (a sense of breaker first recorded in 1514 but probably also current in Middle English).

It may also refer to one who uses a brake, the Middle English word for a crushing or pounding implement.

This could include tools such as a flax brake (for thrashing flax), a pestle (for pounding meal, etc. in a kitchen), or a mallet for softening materials such as leather.

The dual meanings highlight the connection between professions and the tools used in various trades, illustrating the evolution of the terminology in English usage.