'bagani' originates from Philippine (Austronesian) languages, notably languages of some Lumad groups such as Manobo and Bagobo, where the word referred to 'warrior' or 'hero'.

'bagani' has been maintained in local languages and oral traditions and was later recorded in anthropological and ethnographic literature, entering English usage as a cultural term for those indigenous warrior-leaders.

Initially, it meant 'warrior' or 'defender of the group'; over time the word has retained that core sense but is also used as a specific cultural title or role in translations and scholarly descriptions.