'Anthophorinae' originates from New Latin (taxonomic formation), specifically formed from the genus name 'Anthophora' plus the suffix '-inae', where 'Anthophora' comes from Greek 'anthos' meaning 'flower' and 'phorein' meaning 'to carry/bring', and '-inae' denotes a subfamily.

'Anthophora' was coined from Greek roots ('anthos' + 'phorein') and adopted into New Latin as a genus name; the modern taxonomic name 'Anthophorinae' was created by adding the standard zoological subfamily suffix '-inae' to that genus name in scientific classification.

Initially the root 'Anthophora' literally conveyed the idea 'flower‑bearing' or 'flower‑carrier' (referring to association with flowers); over time the derived form 'Anthophorinae' came to denote a formal subfamily grouping of related bee genera rather than the literal phrase.