Bachman

Bachman is a surname of German origin. It is an Anglicized form of Bachmann, derived from the German components bach meaning “stream” and mann meaning “man,” and historically described someone who lived by a stream or was otherwise associated with one. The spelling Bachman is common in North America as an alternative form or derivative of the original German name.

Notable people with the surname include Randy Bachman, a Canadian guitarist and singer who co-founded the rock bands The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. His work helped shape Canadian rock in the 1960s and 1970s, and he remains a prominent figure in the genre. The surname also appears in literature through the pen name Richard Bachman, used by Stephen King for several novels published in the late 20th century. The Bachman Books collection, released in 1985, gathered works such as The Long Walk, The Running Man, Roadwork, and Thinner, published under that pseudonym before King’s authorship was publicly revealed.

Beyond these figures, Bachman remains a family name carried by individuals around the world and appears in various cultural and genealogical contexts as a variant of Bachmann. The use of the name in popular culture—most notably through Stephen King’s pseudonym—has contributed to its recognition outside its traditional European origins.