'pompon' originates from French, specifically the word 'pompon', where the form is likely a diminutive related to Old French 'pompe' (from Latin 'pompa') meaning 'display' or 'splendor'.

'pompon' changed from the French word 'pompon' and entered English with variant spellings such as 'pom-pom' and 'pompom' becoming common in later usage.

Initially it referred to a small ornamental feature (a 'little pomp' or decorative detail); over time it came to mean specifically a small tuft or ball of fluffy material and, by extension, the cheerleader's hand-held pompon.