'Anhimidae' originates from Modern Latin, specifically from the genus name 'Anhima' plus the family-forming suffix '-idae' (from Ancient Greek '-idēs'), where the suffix indicates a familial/related group.

'Anhima' was adopted into scientific Latin from an indigenous South American language (likely Tupí) as a local name for the bird; in Modern (New) Latin the genus name was combined with the standard zoological suffix '-idae' to form the family name 'Anhimidae'.

Initially the root referred to a local name for the bird; over time it became formalized in scientific nomenclature to mean the taxonomic family containing the screamers.