Part of the Word Origin series, this video talks about some of the prevalent theories behind the etymology of the word nerd. No one actually knows its true origins, but here we discuss the two most likely origins.

The earliest recorded use of nerd using the same spelling as today comes from a book by Dr. Seuss published in 1950 called If I Ran the Zoo.

A second possible origin, though there seems to be little recorded evidence to support it, is from a back slang of the word drunk. Spelling knurd.

Whatever the origin, nerds have certainly come a long ways from their antisocial awkward beginnings.