'babaylan' originates from Philippine languages (especially Visayan and other Central Philippine languages), specifically the regional term 'babaylan' or 'baylan', where the element 'babay' is associated with 'woman' or female roles in ritual contexts.

'babaylan' appears in historical accounts and oral traditions as 'baylan' or 'babaylan' in various Visayan and Tagalog sources; the form stabilized in modern Filipino languages as 'babaylan' to refer to indigenous shamans and priestesses.

Initially, it referred specifically to female ritual specialists or priestesses in many Philippine communities; over time the meaning broadened to include male practitioners in some areas and, more generally, those who practice traditional healing and spirit rituals.