This interesting and unusual name is of medieval Welsh origin, derived from the given name Adam Badder is the Anglicization of the diminutive form ("little", or "son of") ap Adda, the "ap" denoting the diminutive. This dialectal change would evolve in the English-Speaking community, especially over the border in counties, for example, Shropshire. The following examples illustrate the name development after the earliest recording (see below). Jevan ap Adda (1391, "The extent of Chirkland"), John Bathowe (1537) Hannah Bather (1683). Adam itself, is of uncertain etymology, but it is thought to be from the Hebrew, "adama", earth. Amongst the sample recordings in Shropshire is the marriage of George Badder and Margery Cartwright on October 12th 1661, at Newport, Salop. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William ap Atha, which was dated 1327, in the Subsidy Rolls, Shropshire, during the reign of King Edward 111, known as "The Father of The Navy", 1327 - 1377. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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