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Reference comes from Middle French référence, from Medieval Latin referentia, from Latin referō ‘to carry back’, from re- + ferō ‘to carry’.

1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-¹‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti¹‘to be carrying’reconstructed
3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō¹‘to carry’reconstructed
4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō¹‘to bear, carry’
5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreferō²‘to carry back; to return, reply’
6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreferēns²‘returning’
7. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500referentia²
8. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600référence²
9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1606–1607reference²

1. ¹ Wiktionary, Latin refero
2. ² Wiktionary, English reference
3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra: “Y’are falne into a Princely hand, feare nothing, /…”.