'albireo' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-minhar al-dajajah,' where 'al-minhar' meant 'the hen's beak.'

'al-minhar al-dajajah' transformed into the Latin word 'albireo,' and eventually became the modern English word 'albireo.'

Initially, it referred to 'the hen's beak' in the context of the constellation, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a binary star system.