Where the word crayon came from originally?

Answer 1

The Crayola Company was originally named Binney & Smith after its founders, who started it in 1885. They began making products such as red pigment for barn paint and carbon black for car tires. Soon they started producing school products, and made the first dustless school chalk which was a big hit.

They noticed that there was a need among students for safe and affordable, but still quality, wax crayons, and so the first box of Crayola crayons was made. Binney's wife Alice made up the name, which came from the French words "craie" (chalk) and "oleagineaux"/"oleaginous" in English (meaning oily).

Soon they made even more art products, like paints and sharpenable fine art crayons. Over the years the company focused on art products and sold the pigment part of their company in 1955 while acquiring several other art product companies. They finally consolidated them all under the Crayola brand name in 1979.

Answer 2

From Online Etymology Dictionary:

1644, from French crayon "pencil," orig. "chalk pencil," from craie "chalk," from Latin creta "chalk."