'eugenics' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'eugenēs', where 'eu-' meant 'good' and 'genos' meant 'birth' or 'race'.

'eugenics' was coined in English in the late 19th century (coined by Francis Galton in 1883) from the Greek element 'eugen-' derived from 'eugenēs'; the modern English word developed directly from this 19th-century coinage.

Initially related to the idea of being 'well-born' or 'of good stock', over time it came to denote a scientific or social movement aiming to improve human hereditary traits—often through controversial and unethical measures.