is derived from the , and is usually related to the verb yogurmak, "to knead", or "to be curdled or coagulated; to thicken". The origin of the word is yugrut, found in Uyghur texts from before the year 1000 in Old Turkic, and in Kashgari's Diwan Lughat al-Turk (1072-74). It was then recorded in 1615-25.

In English, spelling variations include yogurt, yoghurt, and