The word 'Togolese' is a modern English demonym constructed in the 20th century following the nation's independence. It is built upon the country's name, "Togo", which has indigenous African origins from the Ewe language, describing its geography. The suffix "-ese", borrowed into English via French and Italian from the Latin adjectival suffix "-ensis", is a standard linguistic tool for forming nationality adjectives, as seen in "Chinese" or "Portuguese". Thus, 'Togolese' literally means "belonging to or originating from Togo," seamlessly integrating a local toponym into the established grammatical patterns of European languages.

This is a demonym formed from the proper noun "Togo" with the addition of the English suffix "-ese". The suffix "-ese" originates from Latin "-ensis", meaning "originating from" or "belonging to". The place name "Togo" itself is derived from the Ewe language words "to" (water) and "go" (shore), referring to the coastal settlement that became the country's capital, Lomé.