TL;DR
Historically, the word 'computer' referred to human workers who performed calculations for governments, observatories and businesses. The article collects period examples—from an 1785 House of Commons examination to a 1903 Naval Observatory payroll—and notes how related terms like 'calculator' and 'reckon' have shifted in meaning over centuries.
What happened
The piece traces how the label "computer" once named a job rather than a machine. A 1785 excerpt from the Journals of the House of Commons describes a "Controller and the Computer" calculating duties for the East India Company, underscoring that complex tax computation was performed by people. A 1903 Annual Report of the U.S. Naval Observatory lists dozens of named staff assigned to a computing division, showing the role persisted into the 20th century. Popular accounts such as Hidden Figures are cited to note that human computers worked alongside electronic machines into the 1960s, often with women doing the hand calculations using slide rules, lookup tables and mechanical devices. The article also surveys early dictionary entries—Glossographia (1656) and A Table Alphabeticall (1604)—to show that words like "calculate," "compotist," and "reckon" historically carried meanings tied to numerical reckoning. The author closes with a self-described humorous detour into playful etymology.
Why it matters
- Shows how occupational language can shift as tools and institutions evolve.
- Clarifies that 'computer' originally described a human role, which reframes historical accounts of mathematical labor.
- Highlights the gendered dimension of calculation work noted in historical retellings (often women).
- Offers context for contemporary debates about the opacity of computing by comparing past and present forms of complex calculation.
Key facts
- A 1785 passage in the Journals of the House of Commons refers to a "Controller and the Computer" who calculated duties for the East India Company.
- The 1903 Annual Report of the U.S. Naval Observatory lists named staff members attached to its computing division, some for brief periods.
- Popular histories, as noted in the article, portray human computers working alongside electronic machines into the 1960s.
- Thomas Blount's Glossographia (1656) defines calculate-related terms such as 'calculate' and 'compotist' in the context of casting accounts.
- Robert Cawdrey's A Table Alphabeticall (1604) includes entries showing 'reckon' was used with meanings close to 'compute' or 'calculate'.
- The article argues that the older sense of 'reckon' (numerical/financial reckoning) differs from its modern casual sense.
- The author intersperses historical citations with light, self-identified humorous etymological asides.
What to watch next
- The article suggests the label 'Programmer' could one day be perceived more as a tool than a person — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether historical understanding of computational labor (who did the work and under what conditions) changes public discussions of modern automation — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Computer (historical): A person employed to perform numerical calculations and record-keeping prior to or alongside electronic machines.
- Calculator / Compotist: Early terms used for individuals who cast accounts or reckoned numbers; attested in historical dictionaries such as Glossographia.
- Reckon: Historically used to mean compute or calculate, especially in financial or numerical contexts; its modern casual meaning developed later.
- Lookup tables / Mechanical calculator: Tools and devices historically used by human computers to aid manual calculation (term usage noted in the article).
Reader FAQ
Did 'computer' once mean a person?
Yes; the article documents period sources that use 'computer' to refer to people who performed calculations.
When did human computers work?
The article cites examples from 1785 and a 1903 naval report, and notes popular accounts that place human computers in use into the 1960s.
Were human computers often women?
The article states that popular retellings, such as Hidden Figures, describe human computers as usually women.
Will programmers become obsolete like 'computer' as a job name?
Not confirmed in the source.
Computers that used to be human 1/11/2026 One common complaint about computers is that they’re too hard to understand. Check out this lamentation related to the British East India Company:…
Sources
- Computers that used to be human
- When Computers Were Human: Grier, David Alan
- When Computers Were Human
- When Computers Were Human – David Alan Grier
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