'ragbag' originates from English, a compound of 'rag' and 'bag'. 'rag' traces back to Old English 'ræge' meaning 'shred of cloth', and 'bag' comes via Middle English 'bagge' from Old Norse 'baggi' meaning 'sack'.

'ragbag' first appeared in compound/hyphenated form as 'rag-bag' (recorded in the 19th century) and later also appears as the closed form 'ragbag' in modern English.

Initially it meant 'a bag for rags' (literal), but over time it evolved into the figurative sense 'a miscellaneous or disorderly collection' used to describe mixed items, ideas, or people.