'Anglophile' originates from French, specifically the word 'anglophile', where 'Anglo-' meant 'English' (ultimately from Latin 'Anglii' and Old English 'Englaland') and suffix '-phile' comes from Greek 'philos' meaning 'loving'.

'Anglophile' was borrowed into English from French in the mid-19th century; French formed the word by combining the prefix 'Anglo-' with the Greek-derived suffix '-phile', and English adopted this compound with the same sense.

Initially it meant 'a person who loves or admires England or English culture', and over time the core meaning has remained largely the same, though usage expanded to include admiration for the English language specifically.