'fore-end' originates from Old English elements: 'fore' (meaning 'before, in front') and 'end' (meaning 'end, boundary').

'fore-end' appeared in Middle English as forms like 'forend' or 'fore-end' and later stabilized in modern English as 'fore-end' (also spelled 'forend').

Initially it meant simply the 'front end' or 'forepart' of something; this core meaning has largely been retained, with a specialized sense for the forward part of a gun's stock developing over time.