'golden-brown' originates from Old English elements, specifically 'gold' (Old English 'gold') and 'brown' (Old English 'brūn'), where 'gold' meant 'gold (the metal; also the yellowish color)' and 'brūn' meant 'brown (the color).'

'golden-brown' developed as a descriptive compound in Middle English (e.g. forms like 'golden broun') and eventually became the modern hyphenated adjective 'golden-brown'.

Initially it described things 'of gold and brown' or 'having qualities of gold and brown'; over time it has come to mean specifically 'brown with a golden or yellowish tint' used for color description.