'poplar' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'poplier', where 'populus' meant 'people' or 'community', referring to the tree's common use in public spaces.

'poplier' transformed into the Middle English word 'popler', and eventually became the modern English word 'poplar'.

Initially, it referred to trees commonly found in public areas, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.