'bankman' originates from English, formed by combining 'bank' + 'man' where 'bank' (in the financial sense) comes via Old Italian 'banca' (bench, money‑lender's table) and 'man' from Old English 'mann' meaning 'person'.

'bank' (financial) came into English via Old Italian 'banca' and Old French forms; the compound 'bankman' developed in English to mean 'a man associated with the bank' and was built by straightforward combination rather than a single inherited lexical ancestor. A related occupational sense ('banksman'/'bankman' as a signaller) likely arose by extension of 'man' meaning 'person at/near the bank or bench' to denote a person who stands at a bank or guide point.

Initially it denoted a 'man at the bank/bench' (i.e., someone working at a banking table); over time it came to mean generally 'bank employee' and, by extension in specific trades, 'person who gives signals or guidance during lifting/vehicle operations'.