'dark-haired' originates from the combination of 'dark' and 'haired', where 'dark' meant 'having little or no light' and 'haired' referred to the presence of hair.

'dark-haired' evolved from the Old English word 'dēorc' meaning 'dark' and 'hǣr' meaning 'hair', eventually forming the modern English compound adjective 'dark-haired'.

Initially, it meant 'having hair of a dark color', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.