'bankbook' originates from English, formed as a compound of 'bank' and 'book', where 'bank' ultimately comes from Old Italian 'banca' (meaning 'bench' or 'table') and 'book' comes from Old English 'bōc' (meaning 'written document').

'bank' entered English via Old Italian 'banca' (through Medieval Latin and Old French) referring originally to a moneylender's bench; 'book' derives from Old English 'bōc' and has remained relatively stable as a term for a written record. The compound 'bankbook' arose in modern English to denote a book used by banks for recording account transactions.

Initially, the elements referred literally to a 'bank' (place) and a 'book' (written record); over time the compound came to specifically mean 'a record book kept for a bank account', essentially the same practical meaning used today.