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Actually "ute" is short for "utility" Nothing more, nothing less.
The first utes were produced as production bodies for Chevrolet & also for Dodge cars in 1924 by Holden.
Holden body builders were partly owned by GM & their sole line of business was to manufacture auto bodies for various car distributors within Australia, under contract. At that time they made Dodge bodies along with quite a few others.

These two cars were "Roadster Utilities" That means that they were ragtops. This style of ute was not to be phased out untill after the war years & i owned a 1939 Plymouth roadster ute in the late '70's

The Coupe Ute was created by Ford Australia in 1934 & this style quickly caught on, pushing the roadster ute off the market in about seven years. I am going to look at a 1933 Dodge roadster ute tomorrow with a view to buying it's very rare, but derelict remains.

The Ute is the only bodystyle that Australia has contributed to the automotive world & it grieves me to see the ignorant & the unknowing refer to other, clearly defined commercial vehicles, like pickups & flat beds, as utes. Grrrrrrrr!