'dataset' originates from modern English, formed as a compound of 'data' + 'set'; 'data' ultimately comes from Latin, specifically the word 'datum', where 'datum' meant 'something given', and 'set' comes from Old English 'settan', where 'settan' meant 'to cause to sit, to put'.

'dataset' was coined in the mid-20th century as a compound combining scientific/technical use of 'data' (from Latin 'datum' via Medieval and Modern English) and the Old English-derived word 'set' (from 'settan'); it became established in computing, statistics, and related fields as the modern English word 'dataset'.

Initially a neutral compound meaning 'a set of data'; over time it has become a technical term referring specifically to an organized or structured collection of data used for analysis, processing, or machine use.