'barchan' originates from Turkic/Mongolian languages, specifically the word 'barxan' or 'barkhan', where the root referred to a type of sand hill or dune.

'barchan' was borrowed into Russian as 'barkhan' during geographic and scientific descriptions of Central Asian deserts and later entered European languages (and English) as 'barchan', keeping reference to the same landform.

Initially it referred to the specific type of sand hill in Turkic/Mongolian usage, and over time it has retained that sense in English as the technical term for a crescent-shaped dune.