'cowboy' originates from the English words 'cow' and 'boy', where 'cow' refers to cattle and 'boy' refers to a young man or servant.

'cowboy' was first used in the 18th century to describe a boy who tended cows, and eventually became associated with cattle herders in the American West.

Initially, it meant 'a boy who tends cows', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a cattle herder, especially in the western US'.