'toddle' originates from English, likely from an imitative or dialectal formation such as 'toddel' or 'todd' used to describe a short, unsteady gait.

The verb 'toddle' is recorded from the early 17th century; the noun sense and the derived 'toddler' (child who toddles) developed later (18th century). The word appears to have arisen within English rather than being borrowed from another language.

Initially it referred specifically to walking with short, unsteady steps; over time the meaning broadened in informal British use to include a short, leisurely walk and produced the noun 'toddler' for a young child.