'pompon' originates from French, specifically the word 'pompon', where the form is likely a diminutive related to 'pomme' meaning 'apple' (referring to a small round shape).

'pompon' entered English in the late 17th–18th century as 'pompom' or 'pompon' and later also spelled with a hyphen as 'pom-pom'; the form has coexisted with these variant spellings into modern English.

Initially it referred to a small round mass (like a little 'apple' in shape); over time it came to mean a decorative tuft or ball and later was also used as an onomatopoeic name for the gun that made a 'pom-pom' sound.