meaning to buzz or hum, with bee, both words imitative of the insect's sound. The generic name Bombus, introduced by Pierre André Latreille in 1802, derives from the Latin bombus ("buzzing" or "booming"), itself from Ancient Greek ??u??? (bómbos).

Charles Darwin referred to bumblebees as "humble-bees" in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, emphasising their importance in pollinating