'barhop' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'bar' and 'hop,' where 'bar' referred to a drinking establishment and 'hop' meant 'to move quickly or jump.'

'barhop' likely developed from the hyphenated or agentive form 'bar-hopper' (or 'barhopper') and was later used as a verb ('to barhop') with its plural/inflected forms such as 'barhops.'

Initially it described literally 'hopping' or moving quickly between physical bars; over time it has come to denote the social activity of visiting multiple bars in one outing or the people who do so.