guava (English)

Where does "guava" come from?

The word guava originated from *wayaba, a term used by the Taíno people of the Caribbean to describe the fruit. It was adopted into Spanish as guayaba before making its way into English by the mid-16th century. Over time, the spelling evolved into its modern form, eventually lending its name to both the tree and the distinctive reddish-pink color of its flesh.

Full etymology tree

• guava (English), 'A tropical tree or shrub of the myrtle family, Psidium guajava.'
  • inherited guayaba (Spanish), 'guava (fruit)'
    • borrowed *wayaba (Taíno)
      • contraction *wayababor (Taíno)

Direct ancestors

• guayaba (Spanish)
• guayaba (English)

Updated July 2026

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