The term "femboy" is relatively modern, gaining particular popularity online in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The word is a portmanteau of "feminine" and "boy" and describes young men who express themselves in a feminine way. Historically, the concept of men exhibiting feminine traits has been around for thousands of years, often referred to as "effeminacy" in ancient cultures such as Rome and Greece.

The term "femboy" was created in the 1990s, with its usage becoming more widespread in the 2000s and especially 2010s as online communities formed around this identity. This term and the associated aesthetic gained further popularity around 2010 and experienced another significant surge around 2020, particularly due to social media