Kalma "rupee" ta samo asali ne daga kalmar Sanskrit rūpya wanda ke nufin "azurfa da aka ƙera, tsabar azurfa", a asali wani adjective wanda ke nufin "shapely", tare da ma'anar ma'anar "stamped, impressed", daga nan "tsabar kuɗi". An samo shi ne daga sunan rūpa "siffa, kamannin, hoto". An gano kalmar rūpa a matsayin mai alaƙa da tushen Tamil uruppu, wanda ke nufin "memba na jiki". Har ila yau, kalmar rūpam an samo asali ne a cikin Tamil kamar yadda uru (siffa) wanda shi kansa ya samo asali ne a cikin ul ma'ana "bayyane".Rupiya an fara kiransa da tsabar azurfa mai nauyin hatsi 178 (11.53 g) wanda Sarkin Suri Shah ya buga a arewacin Indiya a lokacin mulkinsa na ɗan gajeren lokaci tsakanin 1540 da 1545. An kuma kira tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar tsabar.
azurfa mai ƙyalƙyali, wata tsintsiya daga azurfa.