Origin story
Plural of datum, thing given.
Why it sticks
The modern internet runs on things given, collected, and reinterpreted.
Technology
The modern internet runs on things given, collected, and reinterpreted.
Plural of datum, thing given.
The modern internet runs on things given, collected, and reinterpreted.
A short etymology card for data: origin, meaning history, memorable hook, and source-language context.
Use this page as a public web reference, not an official agency record. The linked official source remains the final authority.
Word Origin Atlas. "Data Origin and Meaning | Word Origin Atlas". https://www.wordoriginatlas.com/words/data/. Reviewed Jul 2026.
Source and citation notes