'blacksmith' originates from Old English, specifically the words 'blæc' and 'smiþ', where 'blæc' meant 'black' or 'dark' and 'smiþ' meant 'one who works with metal'.

'blacksmith' was formed in Old English as the compound 'blæc-smiþ', appeared in Middle English as 'blak-smith', and eventually became the modern English word 'blacksmith'.

Initially it emphasized 'black' in the sense of being soot-covered or working with black (i.e., iron) metals; over time it came to mean specifically a worker who shapes and repairs iron and steel.