It is thought that the term myobu was originally derived from male and female officials of myobu as naigenokan (government officials who resided in the capital and government officials who resided in local areas) in China according to "Shurei" (Rites of Zhou) of China.
命婦という言葉は、元は中国の『周礼』において内外の官として命夫・命婦の官が存在したことが記されており、ここに由来があると考えられている。