Etymologically
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header

Etymology and origin of the English word header

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1432–50
From
Middle English heder

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈhɛdɚ/; /ˈhɛdə/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English heder, from hed (“head”) and -er (see head).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who beheads, an executioner: the mid-15th century in Etymonline, 1432–50 in the OED.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

Most of its senses come from the verb head in its various meanings.[4] One who removes the heads of fish is from 1623,[4] and a reaping machine that cuts off only the heads of grain from 1874.[4][5] A brick or stone laid with its end outward in a wall is a builder's sense, in Scottish and Cheshire dialect too.[5][6] A head-first dive or plunge is from 1849,[3] and in football a pass or shot with the head by 1906.[3] In printing and computing a header is a line of text at the top of each page or a block of data at the start of a file.[5][7]

Timeline

  • 1432–50 – an executioner.[4]
  • 1623 – one who heads fish.[4]
  • 1849 – a head-first dive.[3]
  • 1874 – a heading machine.[4]
  • 1906 – a header in football.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (football) A shot or pass made with the head.
  2. A head-first dive or fall.
  3. Text placed at the top of each page of a document, or data at the start of a file or message.
  4. A brick or stone laid with its end facing out of a wall.
  5. A pipe or tank that supplies several smaller pipes.

Word family

  • double-header
  • triple-header

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  6. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
  7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Header.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/header. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·