'barbudos' originates from Spanish, specifically the adjective 'barbudo', where 'barba' meant 'beard' and the suffix '-udo' meant 'having' (i.e., 'having a beard').

'barbudo' comes from Latin 'barbātus' (meaning 'bearded'), formed from 'barba' meaning 'beard'; the Spanish adjective developed into the plural noun 'barbudos' and was borrowed into English to refer especially to Cuban revolutionaries.

Initially, it meant 'having a beard' (a descriptive adjective); over time it also acquired the specific sense 'the bearded ones' as a label for certain revolutionary fighters, and in English it is often used to mean 'bearded guerrillas' or specifically the Cuban revolutionaries.