'bachelorship' originates from English, specifically formed from the word 'bachelor' and the suffix '-ship'; 'bachelor' itself originates from Old French 'bacheler', from Medieval Latin 'baccalarius', where 'baccalarius' referred to a young man or junior follower, and the suffix '-ship' (from Old English 'scipe') meant 'state, condition, or office'.

'bachelor' changed from Medieval Latin 'baccalarius' to Old French 'bacheler' and entered Middle English as 'bacheler'/'bachelor'; later the English suffix '-ship' was attached to produce 'bachelorship', used in later English to denote the state or office associated with a bachelor.

Initially, related forms signified a young man, novice, or a rank (such as a junior member or holder of a bachelor status); over time the combined form has come to mean primarily 'the state of being an unmarried man', with the older sense referring to rank or degree becoming rare or archaic.