'jug' originates from Middle English, possibly from the name 'Jug' or 'Jugge', a familiar name for Joan, used as a generic name for a woman or a maidservant.

'jug' changed from the Middle English word 'jugge' and eventually became the modern English word 'jug'.

Initially, it referred to a common name for a woman, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a container for liquids.