1580s, "pertaining to a place;" see topic + -al (1). Medical sense "applied to a particular part of the body" is from c. 1600. Meaning "of or pertaining to topics of the day" is from 1873. Related: Topically.
top-hat
top-heavy
Tophet
topiary
topic
topical
topknot
topless
top-notch
topography
topology
