'baginda' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'bhagavān' (भगवान), where 'bhaga' meant 'fortune' or 'blessing' and the suffix conveyed honorific sense ('possessor' or 'venerable').

'baginda' changed from Old Javanese/Old Malay forms such as 'bhaginda' (influenced by Sanskrit 'bhagavān') and eventually became the modern Malay/Indonesian word 'baginda'.

Initially it carried the sense of 'blessed one' or 'venerable lord' in religious and honorific contexts; over time it narrowed to an honorific specifically applied to monarchs meaning 'His/Her Majesty'.