'Barolo' originates from Italian, specifically the place name 'Barolo', ultimately deriving from a medieval toponym of uncertain origin (possibly from a Latin or local Romance formation).

'Barolo' was originally the local place name referring to the village and its surrounding area, and from the 19th century onward the name came to be widely used to refer to the wine produced there.

Initially, it meant 'the place Barolo'; over time it evolved to also mean 'the red wine produced in Barolo'.