'barnyard' originates from English, a compound of 'barn' + 'yard', where 'barn' originally meant 'barley-house' (a building for grain) and 'yard' meant 'enclosure' or 'enclosed area'.

'barn' comes from Old English elements such as 'bern' or the compound 'bere-ærn' (where 'bere' meant 'barley' and 'ærn' meant 'house'), and 'yard' comes from Old English 'geard' meaning 'enclosure'; these elements combined in Middle English to form the compound 'barnyard', which developed into the modern English 'barnyard'.

Initially related to a building and its enclosed space for storing barley and produce, the term came to refer more generally to the area around a barn used for animals and farm work; this agricultural sense has persisted into modern usage.