'azazel' originates from Biblical Hebrew, specifically the word 'עֲזָאזֵל' (ʿǎzāʾzēl), where the precise elements are debated—some read it as a compound involving 'ʿazaz' (possibly related to removal or a goat) and 'el' ('God' or a name-element).

'azazel' appeared in Biblical Hebrew, was rendered in the Greek Septuagint and Latin biblical traditions, and entered English via translations of the Bible (e.g., Vulgate and later English versions), keeping its form as a proper name/reference.

Initially it referred in the biblical context to either a ritual 'goat sent away' or a desert/demonic figure; over time interpretations shifted and it came to be understood both as a scapegoat figure and as a demonic or fallen-angel entity in later tradition.