'Antigua-born' is a compound of 'Antigua' and 'born'. 'Antigua' originates from Spanish, specifically the word 'antigua', where 'antigua' meant 'ancient'. 'born' originates from Old English 'boren' (past participle of 'beran'), where 'beran' meant 'to carry' or 'to bear (a child)'.

'Antigua' was applied to the Caribbean island by Christopher Columbus, named after the church Santa María la Antigua in Seville; the Spanish adjective 'antigua' became the island name 'Antigua' in English. 'born' evolved from Old English 'boren' (from Proto-Germanic *beraną) into Middle English and the modern past participle/ adjective 'born'. The compound pattern X-born (meaning 'born in/ of X') is a longstanding English formation.

Initially, 'antigua' simply meant 'ancient' in Spanish and 'born' originally related to 'bearing/carrying'; over time the combination 'Antigua-born' came to have the straightforward modern sense 'born in Antigua' used as an adjective or noun.