'stroll' originates from German (New High German), specifically the word 'strolchen', where 'strolch' meant 'vagabond' or 'to roam'.

'strolchen' (German) influenced the English verb 'stroll' in the late 18th century; the English noun and verb forms developed from that borrowing and from senses of wandering or roaming.

Initially, it meant 'to roam or wander (often with a negative sense of vagrancy)'; over time it softened to the modern sense 'to walk in a leisurely, pleasant way'.