'balladeer' originates from English, specifically the word 'ballad' combined with the suffix '-eer', where '-eer' meant 'person associated with or engaged in'.

'ballad' changed from Old French 'ballade' (also related to Provençal/Italian 'ballata') and from Latin 'ballare' meaning 'to dance', and in English the addition of the suffix '-eer' produced the agent noun 'balladeer'.

Initially it referred to someone associated with 'ballads' (historically dance-songs or narrative-songs), and over time it evolved into the modern sense 'a singer or writer of ballads'.