'baggageman' originates from English, a compound of 'baggage' + 'man' meaning 'a man who handles baggage.'

'baggage' itself comes from Old North French 'bagage' (from a Germanic root meaning 'bundle' or 'bag'), and Old English 'mann' (person) produced 'man'; the compound appeared as 'baggage man' or 'baggage-man' in modern English and later as the closed form 'baggageman'.

Initially it designated a specific job (a man employed to carry or look after luggage); the basic meaning remains but the term has become less common as job titles (now often replaced by 'porter' or 'baggage handler').