
This is just possible as before the 11th century Catholic priests were allowed to marry. It was almost certainly a status nickname, and may have described a person who was a 'father' figure in a small community, or perhaps a religious teacher, probably not a priest.


Whilst the name literally translates as 'father', it is very unlikely that this was the original meaning. Recorded as Fader, Vader and Vater, this is a medieval surname but of much earlier Norse and later Germanic origins.
