'bagoong' originates from Tagalog (Filipino), specifically the word 'bagoóng', where the term referred to a fermented paste made from shrimp or fish.

'bagoóng' was used in Tagalog and other Philippine languages for centuries to name local fermented seafood pastes and entered English as a loanword in descriptions of Filipino cuisine in the 19th–20th century.

Initially, it referred to traditional local preparations of fermented shrimp or fish paste; over time it retained that core meaning and is now used in English specifically to denote the Filipino varieties.