'eugenic' originates from Modern English usage, deriving from the noun 'eugenics' (coined in the late 19th century by Francis Galton), where the elements ultimately come from Greek 'eu-' meaning 'good' and 'gen-'/'genos' meaning 'birth' or 'race'.

'eugenic' changed from the coined English noun 'eugenics' (1880s) and from the Greek word 'eugenēs' (εὐγενής) meaning 'well-born', and eventually became the modern English adjective 'eugenic'.

Initially Greek 'eugenēs' meant 'well-born' or 'of good family', but over time the term evolved into the modern sense 'relating to attempts to improve hereditary qualities of a population', often with social and political implications.