'utopia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ou-topos', where 'ou-' meant 'not' and 'topos' meant 'place'.

'utopia' was coined by Sir Thomas More in 1516 as the title of his book 'Utopia' (Latinized form) based on the Greek 'ou-topos'; the term then entered English usage from Renaissance Latin and Early Modern English to mean an ideal or imagined community.

Initially, it meant 'no place' or 'nowhere' (a name implying a non-existent place), but over time it evolved into the current meaning of an ideal or perfect society (and by extension an impractical or unattainable ideal).