'baffler' originates from English, formed by the verb 'baffle' + the agentive suffix '-er' (meaning 'one who' or 'that which').

'baffle' appeared in English in the mid 17th century (sense 'to check force, to confound'), possibly influenced by earlier dialectal or Low Countries words meaning 'to strike' or by French/Scots verbal forms; the agent noun 'baffler' developed via the regular addition of '-er' to denote an agent or instrument.

Initially associated with actions like 'to check or beat back' and 'to confuse,' it evolved to include both a person/thing that confuses and a technical device that restrains or redirects flow; 'baffler' now commonly means 'one or something that baffles' in both senses.