'fatherhood' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'fæderhād', where 'fæder' meant 'father' and '-hād' meant 'state or condition'.

'fæderhād' transformed into the Middle English word 'faderhod', and eventually became the modern English word 'fatherhood'.

Initially, it meant 'the state of being a father', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.