Ruby Barry of Heatworld traces the origins of e-girl fashion to 2000s Japanese street fashion, including anime, kawaii and lolita fashion styles.
Vox writer Rebecca Jennings instead referred to the Tumblr aesthetic as a precursor of the subculture, as it lacked the cutesy aspect that would come to define e-girl hair and makeup.
According to an article by Business Insider, the earliest example of e-girls were found on Tumblr, with Vice Media stating the subculture evolved out of the earlier emo and scene cultures. 'E-girl' was first used, in the late-2000s, as an objectifying pejorative against women perceived to be seeking out male attention online. The terms 'e-girl' and 'e-boy' are derived from 'electronic boy' and 'electronic girl', due to their association with the internet. Rapper Lil Peep is considered influential upon the development of the e-boy subculture in the late 2010s.
