'baronetage' originates from English formation based on the noun 'baronet' (from Old French 'baronet'), combined with the suffix '-age' from Old French, where 'baron' meant 'baron', the diminutive suffix '-et' meant 'little' or 'young', and the suffix '-age' meant 'state, condition, or collective related to'.

'baronet' came into English from Middle French 'baronet' (a diminutive of 'baron'), and the compound 'baronetage' emerged in Early Modern English (early 17th century) after the establishment of the hereditary title of baronet in England in 1611; this developed into the modern English 'baronetage'.

Initially it referred to the idea of a 'diminutive baron' or the title associated with that status; over time it evolved to mean specifically the hereditary title and the collective body or rank of baronets.