'Antirrhinum' originates from New Latin, ultimately from the Greek word 'antirrhinos', where 'anti-' meant 'opposite' or 'against' and 'rhis' (or 'rhinos') meant 'nose'.

'Antirrhinum' changed from the Greek word 'antirrhinos' into New Latin/botanical Latin 'Antirrhinum' and has been adopted as the modern genus name for snapdragons.

Initially, it meant 'nose-like' or 'resembling a nose' (referring to shape), but over time it evolved to be used specifically as the botanical name for the genus of plants known as snapdragons.