'individually-owned' originates from the combination of 'individual' and 'own,' where 'individual' comes from Latin 'individuus,' meaning 'indivisible,' and 'own' from Old English 'āgen,' meaning 'possess.'

'individually-owned' evolved from the concept of personal ownership, emphasizing the distinction from collective or corporate ownership.

Initially, it meant 'owned by a single person,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.