'balletomane' originates from French, formed from 'ballet' + the suffix from Greek 'mania' (via French), meaning an intense enthusiasm for ballet.

'balletomane' entered English in the 19th century from French 'balletomane' (itself from 'ballet' + 'omanie'/'omania'), and the English plural 'balletomanes' follows regular English pluralization.

Initially it carried the sense of a person with a (sometimes excessive) mania for ballet; it is now used more neutrally to mean an enthusiastic ballet devotee.