'suntan' originates from the English words 'sun' and 'tan', where 'sun' refers to the star at the center of our solar system and 'tan' refers to the darkening of the skin.

'suntan' evolved from the combination of 'sun' and 'tan' in the early 20th century to describe the skin's darkening due to sun exposure.

Initially, it meant 'a tan acquired from the sun', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.