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The name "Mayor" has its roots in the First Century AD. It was composed of two German words, mord and dome, meaning literally "judge of murderers". When the Germanic tribe of the Franks conquered Gaul, the words mord and dome were Latinised into major domus. 

With the growth of municipal government, lesser dignitaries were distributed through the urban areas of France as gouverneurs royaux, later acquiring the title of maire.

In due course, maire crossed the channel to England. The title and office was reputedly introduced in the 12th Century by Henry II (1133-89), great grandson of William the Conqueror. However, some historians attribute the introduction of the anglicised title to his son, Richard I. He simply referred to the civic head of a borough as maire.

Lord Mayor
The right to have a Lord Mayor is a matter of the Queen's prerogative. The Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor  receive a number of formal requests each year for her consideration.

There are no official grounds for any City to claim the title. However, in the past, important factors have been royal connections and the historical, cultural and economic importance of the City. In practice, the privilege has been granted to cities mainly on the basis of their current rather than their historical significance. For centuries, London and York were the only places with Lord Mayors, but between 1893 and 1935, another 16 cities acquired one. Among these were the five largest cities in late Victorian England: Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. Only six others have been awarded the right in the past 50 years. 

In granting the title, there is no official intention to do more than honour the City. However, some enterprising councils reap commercial benefits as well. Some with the right to the title choose to reject it. The City Councils in Liverpool and Manchester voted to replace their Lord Mayors with a Chairman in 1983 and 1985, respectively. Both have since reinstated the office of Lord Mayor.

Bath has made a number of unsuccessful applications to be considered for a Lord Mayor status, but in view of its recent rise in popularity, the City's next bid may be successful.