'applejohn' originates from English, specifically the compound 'apple' + 'John', where 'apple' meant 'apple' and 'John' was a familiar personal name often used generically.

'applejohn' appeared in dialectal usage as the two-word form 'apple John' in the 18th–19th century and later contracted in some texts to the single word 'applejohn'.

Initially, it referred specifically to an apple-based dumpling or small apple treat; over time the word became rare and regionally varied in meaning, sometimes used for candied apples or preserved only in dialect.