Etymology

quaker

Quak·er
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Today it means: A believer of the Quaker faith and a member of the Society of Friends, known for their pacifist views. Full definition →

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Quaker · noun1

From quake + -er; a name given to members of the Religious Society of Friends, supposedly by the magistrates Gervase Bennet and Nathaniel Barton, when George Fox "bade them tremble at the word of the Lord"; the term was previously applied to certain people who trembled or quaked during religious devotions.

Quaker · noun2

From Quake + -er, but likely inspired by the original noun.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.