'baldachin' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'baldacchino', where 'Baldacco' referred to 'Baghdad' (a city famed in Europe for its luxurious cloth products).

'baldachin' changed from the medieval Latin/Old Italian word 'baldacchinus'/'baldacchino' and eventually became the modern English word 'baldachin'.

Initially, it referred to a type of luxurious cloth (associated with Baghdad), but over time it came to denote the canopy or ornamental covering made from such cloth and similar fabrics.