'genome' originates from German, specifically the word 'Genom', where 'Gen' meant 'gene' and '-om' was a suffix used to denote a complete set.

'Genom' was adopted into English as 'genome' in the early 20th century, maintaining its meaning as the complete set of genes.

Initially, it meant 'the complete set of genes in an organism', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.