'serendipity' originates from English, specifically coined by Horace Walpole in 1754, inspired by the Persian fairy tale 'The Three Princes of Serendip,' where 'Serendip' referred to the island of Sri Lanka.

'serendipity' was coined in the 18th century and has remained largely unchanged in modern English.

Initially, it referred to the ability to make fortunate discoveries by accident, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.