'hatchling' originates from the English word 'hatch,' which means 'to emerge from an egg,' combined with the diminutive suffix '-ling,' indicating a young or small version of something.

'hatch' changed from the Old English word 'hæccan,' which meant 'to produce young from eggs,' and eventually became the modern English word 'hatchling' with the addition of '-ling.'

Initially, it meant 'a young creature emerging from an egg,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.