'hegumen' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'hēgoumenos' (ἡγούμενος), where the root 'hēg-' (ἡγ-) meant 'to lead' or 'leader'.

'hegumen' passed into Church Slavonic and other Eastern Christian languages as 'igumen' and entered English via ecclesiastical Greek and Slavic usage, eventually becoming the modern English 'hegumen'.

Initially it meant 'one who leads' more generally; over time the meaning narrowed to denote specifically the leader (abbot) of an Eastern Orthodox monastery.