'geese' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'gēs', the plural of 'gōs' ('goose'), which comes from Proto-Germanic '*gans' (meaning 'goose').

'geese' changed from Old English plural 'gēs' (with vowel mutation from 'gōs') and continued into Middle English as 'gees'/'geese', eventually becoming the modern English plural 'geese'. The root ultimately traces back to Proto-Germanic '*gans' and Proto-Indo-European '*ǵhans-'.

Initially, it meant 'the bird known as a goose' and the plural meant 'more than one goose'; this basic meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.