'evidence-backed' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'evidence' and the past participle 'backed'. 'evidence' ultimately comes from Old French 'evidence' and Latin 'evidentia', where 'evident-' meant 'clear, obvious'; 'backed' derives from the Germanic root (Old English) 'bæc' meaning 'back' or 'rear', with the verb sense 'to support' developing in Middle English and the past participle formed with -ed.

'evidence' passed from Latin 'evidentia' into Old French as 'evidence' and then into Middle English as 'evidence'; 'back' existed in Old English as 'bæc' (meaning 'rear, back') and developed into the verb 'to back' in Middle English; the phrase 'backed by evidence' was commonly used and later condensed in usage to the hyphenated compound 'evidence-backed' in Modern English.

Initially, 'evidence' emphasized 'obviousness' or 'manifest fact' while 'backed' meant 'having support at the rear'; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'supported by factual proof' or 'justified by evidence' in contemporary usage.