Bachelor, a word of uncertain origin, derived, perhaps, with most probability through French from the Low Latin baccalarius, 'a farm-servant,' originally 'a cow-herd;' from bacca, Low Latin for vacca, 'a cow.' Odd though it seem, this will connect fairly with the special meanings of the word given by Ducange. (1) It was used, he says, to indicate a person who cultivated certain portions of church-lands called baccalaria, a few belonging to an inferior vassal. (2) It indicated monks in the first stages of monkhood. (3) It was used by later writers to indicate persons in the probationary stage of knighthood—i.e. not squires simply, but knights who, from poverty and the insufficient number of their retainers or from nonage, had not yet raised their banner in the field. (4) It was adopted to indicate the first grade or step in the career of university life. As an academical title, it was first introduced by Pope Gregory IX. in the 13th century, into the university of Paris, to denote a candidate who had undergone his first academical trials, and was authorised to give lectures, but was not yet admitted to the rank of an independent master or doctor. At a later period, it was introduced into the other faculties as the lowest academical honour, and adopted by the other universities of Europe (see DEGREE, UNIVERSITY), and in this sense the Latin form came to be written, at first through mere word-play, baccalaureus, as if connected with bacca lauri, 'laurel berry.' (5) It came to be used in its popular meaning of an unmarried man, who was thus regarded as a candidate or probationer for matrimony.
The legislation of almost every country, at some period of its history, has imposed penalties on male celibates or bachelors, on the principle that every citizen is bound to rear up legitimate children to the state. In Sparta, at Athens, and at Rome, various penalties were imposed on celibates, various premiums offered for fruitfulness. In England, there are numerous instances of additional or higher taxes being imposed on bachelors and widowers, but apparently more with a view to the revenue than with any other object. Thus, an act was passed in 1695, which granted to the king certain rates and duties upon marriages, births, and burials, and upon bachelors and widowers for five years, 'for carrying on the war against France with vigour.' Every unmarried male above the age of twenty-five had to pay from 1s. to £12, 10s., according to his status. Another instance may probably be found in the higher charge for the servants of bachelors, first imposed by Pitt in 1785, and continued for a considerable time. In the income-tax of 1799, deductions were made on account of children, 5 per cent. being allowed to a person who had a family, and whose income was above £60 and under £400 a year, with corresponding deductions in other cases.