Mid 18th century; earliest use found in Samuel Richardson (bap. 1689, d. 1761), printer and author. From had, past tense of have + been, past participle of be.
Definition of had-been in US English:
had-been
nounˈhadbiːn
A person whose best days are over; a has-been.
Origin
Mid 18th century; earliest use found in Samuel Richardson (bap. 1689, d. 1761), printer and author. From had, past tense of have + been, past participle of be.