'bantam' originates from Malay/Indonesian, specifically the place name 'Banten' (often written 'Bantam'), where it referred to the port on Java associated with trade in small fowl.

'bantam' entered English via early modern trade usage (through Dutch and other European languages) referring to fowl from Bantam; it became applied generally to small domestic chickens and later metaphorically to small, aggressive people.

Initially, it meant 'from Bantam' or 'a fowl from Bantam', but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'a small breed of chicken' and figuratively 'a small but feisty person'.