'Babbage' originates from Middle English, possibly derived from the pet-name 'Babbe' or 'Babba' with the addition of a surname-forming element such as '-age'.

'Babbage' changed from Middle English personal names like 'Babbe'/'Babba' and eventually became the modern English surname 'Babbage'.

Initially it functioned simply as a family name; over time it became closely associated with Charles Babbage and, by extension, with his calculating machines and early computing concepts.