'limpet' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'lempedu,' where 'lemp-' meant 'lamp' and '-edu' was a diminutive suffix.

'lempedu' changed from Old English to the Middle English word 'lempet,' and eventually became the modern English word 'limpet'.

Initially, it referred to a type of mollusk, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.