'frontward-facing' originates from English, specifically the words 'frontward' and 'facing', where 'front' meant 'the forehead or front part' and 'face' meant 'the surface or front of something'.

'frontward' developed in English from 'front' + the directional suffix '-ward' (Old English/Old Germanic element 'weard' meaning 'toward'), and 'facing' is the present participle of 'face', which came into English via Old French 'face' from Latin 'facies'. These elements combined in modern English to form the compound adjective 'frontward-facing'.

Initially the components referred specifically to 'front' and 'face/surface'; over time the compounded form came to be used descriptively for orientation ('oriented toward the front') in contexts such as design, photography, and vehicle seating.