'barkeep' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'bar' and 'keep', where 'bar' meant 'a counter where drinks are served' and 'keep' meant 'to look after' or 'to hold'.

'barkeep' changed from the earlier compound form 'bar-keep' found in 18th- and 19th-century English and eventually became the single word 'barkeep' in modern usage.

Initially, it meant 'someone who keeps or manages a bar,' and over time the meaning has remained largely the same as 'a person who tends or manages a bar.'