Baker was born in New Rochelle, Illinois, one of six children of Mary Catherine (Ridley) Baker and Orlando Harrison Baker, who were both teachers and linguists. They gave her early instruction in languages, for which she had a distinct aptitude. By the time she was four, she was being regularly tutored in Greek, Latin, and French as well as learning English, her native tongue. She later picked up German as well. By the time she was eight, she had read substantial portions of the works of Xenophon, Homer, and Virgil in the original languages.
