'bargee' originates from English, formed by combining 'barge' and the suffix '-ee' (borrowed via French '-é' into English), where 'barge' itself comes from Old French 'barge' and ultimately from Late Latin 'barca' meaning 'small boat'.

'barca' (Late Latin) changed into Old French 'barge', which entered Middle English as 'barge'; the English agent/recipient-forming suffix '-ee' was later added to produce 'bargee'.

Initially, related words referred to the small boat ('barge'); over time the derived form 'bargee' came to mean a person associated with the barge (an operator or occupant).