Late Middle English; earliest use found in Reginald Pecock (c1392–?1459), bishop of Chichester and religious author. From pseudo- + apostle, after post-classical Latin pseudoapostolus false apostle (Vulgate), also pseudapostolus (late 2nd or early 3rd cent. in Tertullian), or its etymon Hellenistic Greek ψευδαπόστολος (New Testament: 2 Corinthians 11:13).