'pipsqueak' originates from American English, specifically the combination of 'pip' and 'squeak', where 'pip' meant 'a small seed or small thing' and 'squeak' meant 'a short high-pitched sound'.

'pipsqueak' appeared in late 19th-century American English as an onomatopoeic compound formed from 'pip' + 'squeak' and was used figuratively for a very small or insignificant creature or person; it has remained in informal usage to denote an unimportant person.

Initially, it evoked the literal tiny, high-pitched sound of something small, but over time it evolved into its current figurative meaning of 'an insignificant or contemptible person'.