'crew-necked' originates from modern English, formed from the compound 'crew-neck' + the adjectival suffix '-ed'. In 'crew-neck', 'crew' originally referred to a rowing 'crew' whose team sweaters commonly had a round neckline.

'crew-neck' arose in early 20th-century English to describe sweaters worn by rowing crews; it combined 'crew' + 'neck'. The adjective form 'crew-necked' developed later to describe garments with that style of neckline.

Initially it referred specifically to sweaters worn by rowing crews; over time it broadened to mean any garment 'having a crew neck' (a round, close-fitting neckline).