Thatcher

Thatcher first developed as a Medieval English surname derived from an occupation: specifically, “one who makes or lays thatching material” (a roofer who covers a housetop with weatherproof reed and straw). The name comes from the Olde English þæccan meaning, apropos, “to cover, to cover over, to conceal.”  Tradesmen involved with the art of construction in Medieval English society were highly regarded (e.g., Mason, Sawyer, Slater, Thatcher) and so job-descriptive surnames were among the most common. They were essentially assigned to the local townsmen who held various positions imperative to the general necessities of their communities and such surnames only became hereditary when a son followed his father into the same trade. This particular surname, Thatcher, was first recorded in the late 13th century as “le Thechare.”  As a given name for boys, Thatcher is still very rare.