'note-taker' originates from English, specifically combining the words 'note' and 'taker', where 'note' ultimately comes from Latin 'nota' meaning 'mark' and 'taker' is formed from the verb 'take' (Old Norse 'taka') meaning 'to take' with the agentive suffix '-er'.

'note' changed from Latin 'nota' into Old French 'note' and then into Middle English 'note'; 'take' entered English from Old Norse 'taka' and developed into Modern English 'take', and the agent noun 'taker' was formed by adding '-er'; these elements combined in Modern English to create the compound 'note-taker'.

Initially it meant 'a person who takes notes', and over time that core meaning has remained stable, though the term now also commonly covers people who record information using digital devices and note-taking apps.