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I was interested in finding out when the term child minder was first used.

Rhyan_SR
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2 Answers2

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This Google ngram for "child minder,childminder" shows that the term (with or without a space) had basically no usage at all until 1970. It had a small amount of usage between 1970–1975, and after 1975, the version without a space ("childminder") became much more popular.

ngram for child minder, childminder

The term seems to be slightly later and still slightly less popular than the term "babysitter", according to this ngram (which was restricted to British English):

ngram for childminder vs babysitter

The earliest Google Books result claims to be from 1949, but I find the dating on that document dubious because it says it's a supplement, and may have been published much later. It's not possible to verify the date using Google Books. There is another example from 1963 which seems less dubious because you can barely make out the date (1964) on the title page image.

In conclusion, the term seems to have become popular in the early 1970s, although there appear to be a small number of instances from before that period, as early as 1963, or possibly as early as 1949.

nohat
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  • Here’s a 1948 example that looks reasonably valid: Annual Report of the Public Health Department, in Edinburgh. At least from what I can see on google books, there’s nothing to suggest it’s a supplement or similar. More generally, adding child-minder to the ngram searches suggests that this hyphenated form appeared on the scene a little earlier than the others, although they quickly overwhelmed it. – PLL Jan 22 '14 at 23:02
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The British term 'childminder' (written as one word), refers to a person who looks after a child in their own home for payment. (Oxford Dictionary of English - not OED).

The word is given official recognition in law. Such people have to be registered and meet fairly rigorous standards both personal and in terms of the premises of their home (safety features etc). When registered they are known as 'Registered Childminder'

Reg Childminders have to meet far higher standards than mere 'babysitters' who require no qualifications. For example Childminders must possess at least a Level 2 qualification in child care. They are regulated and inspected by Ofsted, a government inspector of educational and nursery establishments.

None of this tells you when the word Childminder began to be used, but registration appears to have been introduced in Britain by the Infant Life Protection Act of 1872.

WS2
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  • Is childminder often written with a capital letter? – Mari-Lou A Jan 23 '14 at 08:20
  • If I was just saying 'I am collecting John from his childminder', I would not give it a capital. But 'Registered Childminder' is a legal term, a bit like 'Company Secretary', or 'Police Officer'. So I might say 'Sarah is now a fully qualified Registered Childminder'. – WS2 Jan 23 '14 at 08:47
  • OK, when it's referred to as a job title you capitalize the word. Thank you. – Mari-Lou A Jan 23 '14 at 08:53
  • @Mari-LouA Yes, I believe that to be the convention. But I realise the whole question of when, and when not, to capitalise is a vast subject and I would be open to other views on the matter. – WS2 Jan 23 '14 at 18:08