'goody-goody' originates from English, specifically the reduplication of the word 'goody', where 'goody' was originally a form of address (short for 'goodwife') meaning 'a good wife' or 'a respectable woman'.

'goody' was used in Early Modern English as the title 'Goody' (short for 'Goodwife'); over time 'goody' gained senses such as 'a virtuous person' or 'a treat' (as 'goodie'), and the reduplicated form 'goody-goody' developed in later English (19th–20th century) to mean an excessively virtuous or self-righteous person.

Initially, it referred to 'a good wife' or a polite form of address; as usage shifted, the reduplicated form came to mean 'an excessively or insincerely virtuous person' and took on a mildly pejorative sense.