'nerd' originates from American English, specifically popularized by Dr. Seuss in the book 'If I Ran the Zoo' in 1950.

'nerd' was initially used in the 1950s to describe a socially awkward person and eventually became the modern English word 'nerd'.

Initially, it meant 'a socially awkward person', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a person who is overly intellectual or obsessive'.