Late 18th century; earliest use found in Jacob Bryant (bap. 1717, d. 1804), antiquary and classical scholar. From ancient Greek Ἑλλαδ-, Ἑλλάς Greece (goes to classical Latin Hellad-, Hellas; in form a feminine adjective (short for Ἑλλάς γῆ the Helladic land) from the base of Ἕλλην + -άς) + -ian.