Etymology Map
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Bun

3 stages from Old French to English.

Today it means a small soft round bread roll, often sweet; hair coiled at the back of the head

Where does the word "bun" come from? It comes from Old French bugne, passing through Middle English before entering English (1700s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
bugne
Old French · medieval
"swelling"
a swelling or lump, the likeliest source; French 'beignet', fritter, may be related
2
Stage 2 of 3
bunne
Middle English · 1300s
"small cake"
a small sweet roll; the word's origin remains uncertain
3
Stage 3 of 3
bun
English · 1700s
"roll; coil of hair"
'hot cross buns' are recorded as a Good Friday custom by 1733; the hair 'bun' dates from the 1890s
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Bun’s story begins in Old French: bugne meant “swelling.” A swelling or lump, the likeliest source; French 'beignet', fritter, may be related. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as bunne. A small sweet roll; the word's origin remains uncertain. It reached English by 1700s as bun. 'hot cross buns' are recorded as a Good Friday custom by 1733; the hair 'bun' dates from the 1890s. Today, bun means a small soft round bread roll, often sweet; hair coiled at the back of the head.