'socialite' originates from the English word 'social,' which is derived from the Latin word 'socialis,' meaning 'of companionship or allies.'

'social' evolved from the Latin 'socialis' to the Old French 'social,' and eventually became the modern English word 'social.' The suffix '-ite' is used to denote a person associated with a place or group.

Initially, it referred to someone who was part of a social group, but over time it evolved to specifically mean someone prominent in fashionable society.