'baboo' originates from Hindi and Bengali, specifically the word 'babu', where 'babu' was used as a respectful form of address meaning 'father' or 'sir'.

'baboo' entered English during the British colonial period (late 18th–19th century) from the Indian word 'babu'; British usage adopted the spelling 'baboo' and applied it to native clerks and officials.

Initially it meant a respectful form of address ('father'/'sir'), but in English it evolved to refer to an Indian clerk or educated local and sometimes acquired a condescending nuance.