Why aren't US Cabinet Secretaries called Ministers?

[politicallefty]

I've been wondering why in the US we have Cabinet Secretaries and Departments, while other similar countries have Ministers and Ministries? The Constitution mentions Ministers, but it doesn't define what they are. As I understand it, the British Cabinet is called "Secretary of State for (insert ministry)", and it seems to be interchangeable as to whether they care called secretary of minister. I've heard of the UK Foreign Secretary and the UK Foreign Minister (though the former seems to be more prevalent).

Anyway, my main question still stands. Why do we in the US call Cabinet members secretaries and call the organization they lead departments as opposed to ministries?

[President Johnson]

My theory is that they're de jure no ministers, although we in Germany for example call John Kerry "Foreign Minister" (translated word by word). In parliamentary governments like in the UK or Germany, the executive branch (cabinet) is more of a collective and decisions are made by a majority vote although the prime minister or chancellor is the head of government. In the US, there is no consensus vote. The president alone decides. The "ministers" are de jure just his secretaries and no ministers.

[politicallefty]

I don't think the difference between a parliamentary system and a presidential system explains it all. Obviously, the US Constitution was heavily based on the British system in practice at the time.  I'm also aware that the US Secretary of State was originally called the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. That was changed when it was given added responsibilities. I just wonder how that relates to the British system as it. They term "Minister" in the UK basically colloquial. With the exception of the Prime Minister herself and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, they are almost all titled as "Secretary of State for [insert job]". Like I said, Foreign Secretary (technically Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) seems to be the official title for Boris Johnson, not Foreign Minister.

I know most countries have Cabinets that consist of ministers. Having done more research on the subject, the UK seems very nonsensical. I always thought they were ministers leading ministries. Apparently, the leaders are Secretaries of State for their particular ministerial department. So, the UK seems to have all current US terminology.

To expand upon my main question, why does the US have Cabinet Secretaries leading Departments, why does the UK have Cabinet Secretaries of State leading Ministerial Departments, and why do most other countries have Cabinet Ministers leading Ministries? I'm just wondering where all of the terminology comes from and how it got settled.

[Lechasseur]

I think it's just a question of language, in the UK most of the top cabinet members are called secretaries as well (Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Defence Secretary, etc)