'pipit' originates from French, specifically the word 'pipit', where the root 'pip-' is imitative of chirping (related to Latin 'pipare'/'pipio' meaning 'to peep' or 'a peeping bird').

'pipit' was borrowed into English from French 'pipit' (attested in modern French) and ultimately traces back to Latin 'pipio'/'pipare'; the form entered English usage in the 18th century to name these small chirping birds.

Initially it referred generally to a 'peeping' or chirping bird, and over time it came to denote specifically the small insectivorous ground birds (genus Anthus) known today as 'pipits'.