fae (English)

Where does "fae" come from?

The word 'fae' traces its origins back to the Latin 'fata,' which referred to the Fates or goddesses of destiny. It evolved through Medieval Latin as 'fada' and entered Old French as 'fae,' eventually arriving in English to describe something magical or fairylike.

Full etymology tree

• fae (English), 'Alternative spelling of fey (“magical, fairylike”).'
  • inherited fae (Old French)
    • inherited fada (Latin), 'fāta'

Direct ancestors

• fada (Latin)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris