1890, "event planner," agent noun from program (v.). Meaning "person who programs computers" is attested from 1948.
Entries linking to programmer
program v.
1889, "write program notes" (a sense now obsolete); 1896 as "arrange according to program," from program (n.).
Of computers, "cause to be automatically regulated in a prescribed way" from 1945; this was extended to animals by 1963 in the figurative sense of "to train to behave in a predetermined way;" of humans by 1966. Related: Programmed; programming.