'Islander' originates from English, formed by the noun 'island' plus the agentive suffix '-er' meaning 'one associated with' or 'one who lives in'.

'island' comes from Old English 'īegland' (also spelled 'iegland'), influenced by Old Norse 'eyland' and by Old French/Latin forms (Latin 'insula' via Old French 'isle'); the modern English spelling 'island' (with a silent 's') arose in Middle English. The agentive '-er' was later added in English to form 'islander'.

Originally formed simply to denote 'one who lives on an island'; this basic meaning has largely remained the same, though it is also used now as a proper-name identifier (e.g., sports teams).