'bartender' originates from English, a compound of 'bar' and 'tender', where 'bar' referred to the counter at which drinks are served and 'tender' meant an attendant or keeper.

'bartender' appeared in the mid-19th century (often written 'bar-tender'), formed by analogy with older terms like 'bar-keeper' and the noun use of 'tender' meaning attendant; it eventually became the standardized single word 'bartender'.

Initially it meant 'one who tends the bar', and this core meaning has remained; over time the role's connotation sometimes expanded to emphasize skill in mixing drinks (mixology).