'bandanna' originates from Hindi/Urdu, specifically the word 'bāndhnū' or 'bandana', where 'bandh' meant 'to bind'.

'bandanna' entered English from Hindi/Urdu (and related South Asian languages) via Portuguese/Dutch trade contacts in the 17th–18th centuries and became the English forms 'bandana'/'bandanna'.

Initially, it meant 'a tied or bound piece of cloth', but over time it evolved into the current meaning of 'a cloth (kerchief) worn on the head or neck, or used for tying/covering'.