'bankeress' originates from English, specifically formed by adding the feminine suffix '-ess' to 'banker', where 'banker' ultimately comes from Italian 'banca' meaning 'bench' or 'table' (used for money-lending).

'banker' entered English via Middle French 'banque' from Italian 'banca'; 'bankeress' was formed in modern English by attaching the suffix '-ess' to 'banker' to mark a female agent, and the word became used in the 19th–20th centuries though it later fell out of general use.

Initially, the formation simply meant 'a female banker'; over time the explicit gendered form became less common and 'banker' came to be used regardless of gender, so 'bankeress' is now considered archaic or dated.