'aubade' originates from French, specifically the word 'aubade', ultimately related to Provençal/Occitan 'alba' meaning 'dawn' (from Latin 'alba').

'aubade' was borrowed into English from French 'aubade' (which itself comes from the Romance word 'alba'); the root 'alba' in medieval Romance languages referred to the dawn and gave rise to the French form before English adoption.

Initially, it meant 'a song at dawn'—often a lover's morning song sung at daybreak—and over time it has retained that core sense while also being used more broadly for poems or musical pieces themed around dawn.