'Aquitaine' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'Aquitania', which referred to the land of the Aquitani (a people living in the area).

'Aquitania' (Latin) passed into Old French as 'Aquitane' and then into Middle English, eventually becoming the modern English 'Aquitaine'.

Initially it named the territory of the Aquitani people; over time it came to denote a Roman province, a medieval duchy and, more recently, a modern administrative or geographic region.