The word 'voodoo' is a direct borrowing, its form largely unchanged from its source in the Fon language of Dahomey (modern-day Benin). The term 'vodu' referred to a spirit or divine power central to the indigenous religious practices of West Africa. Through the transatlantic slave trade, these beliefs were carried to the Caribbean, particularly Haiti, where they syncretized with elements of Roman Catholicism. The word entered the English lexicon in the early 1800s, initially describing the Afro-Caribbean religious system and later expanding to denote its practitioners, objects, and, figuratively, any mysterious or hypnotic power.

The word 'voodoo' is a simplex loanword. It originates from the West African language Fon, where 'vodu' means 'spirit' or 'deity'. It entered English via Louisiana French in the early 19th century.