'bayadere' originates from French, specifically the word 'bayadère', which itself comes from Portuguese 'bailadeira' (literally 'female dancer', from 'bailar' = 'to dance').

'bayadere' changed from the French word 'bayadère' (used in 18th–19th century French to refer to Indian temple dancers) and ultimately derives from Portuguese 'bailadeira' (female dancer), from Spanish 'bailar' ('to dance'), and earlier from Latin 'ballare' ('to dance'); the term entered English via French, and was popularized in part by works such as the ballet 'La Bayadère'.

Initially it referred more broadly to a 'female dancer' (in Portuguese/French usage) and specifically to Indian temple dancers in European accounts; over time English use narrowed to mean 'an Indian temple dancer' and acquired cultural associations through theatrical and ballet representations.