'hedgerow' originates from English, specifically the combination of the words 'hedge' and 'row', where 'hedge' meant 'a fence or boundary made of bushes' and 'row' meant 'a line or series'.

'hedge' came from Old English words such as 'hecg' and 'haga', passing into Middle English as 'hegge', while 'row' comes from Old English 'rāw' (a line); the compound 'hedgerow' developed in later Middle English by combining these elements.

Initially it referred to a line of bushes forming a boundary, and over time the term retained that basic sense while also being used more broadly for the associated strip of vegetation important to wildlife.