'barman' originates from English, formed from the words 'bar' and 'man' in the late 19th century, where 'bar' referred to the counter or establishment serving drinks and 'man' meant 'male person'.

'bar' changed from Middle English 'barre' (from Old French 'barre', ultimately from Vulgar Latin 'barra') and 'man' comes from Old English 'mann', and these elements combined to form the modern English word 'barman'.

Initially, it meant 'a man who stands at or works behind the bar'; over time it came to mean specifically 'someone who serves drinks', and more recently the gender-neutral term 'bartender' has become common.