'Bangash' originates from Pashto and regional usage, specifically the tribal name 'بانګش' (Bangash) used in Pashto and Persian sources.

'Bangash' appears in Persian and Pashto historical records and travel accounts; the form entered English via colonial-era and academic reports referring to the tribe and its members.

Initially and historically it has denoted the tribal group and lineage; in modern use it continues to refer to the tribe and also functions as a surname for members and descendants.