'burl' originates from Middle English ( Middle English 'burl'/'borl' ), probably of Germanic origin meaning 'knot' or 'lump'.

'burl' changed from Middle English words like 'burl' or 'borl' referring to a knot or lump in wood and eventually became the modern English word 'burl' with its specialized sense for tree growths and decorative wood.

Initially it meant 'a knot or lump'; over time it came to denote specifically 'a knotty growth on a tree and the decorative wood derived from it.'