'D-arabinose' originates from the name 'arabinose' (derived from 'gum arabic', a source of the sugar), where 'arabin-' refers to 'Arabic/gum arabic' (via Medieval Latin/Arabic), and the prefix 'D-' comes from Latin 'dexter' meaning 'right' and denotes the stereochemical configuration (relative to D-glyceraldehyde).

'Arabinose' was named in the 19th century after being isolated from gum arabic; the sugar name came into English via Latin/Modern scientific usage from words referring to 'Arabic' (gum arabic). The 'D-' stereochemical designation was introduced in the late 19th century by chemists such as Emil Fischer to indicate configuration relative to D-glyceraldehyde, producing the modern term 'D-arabinose'.

Initially, the name referred simply to a sugar obtained from gum arabic; over time the term evolved to denote the specific chemical entity and, with the addition of 'D-', to indicate the sugar's stereochemical (right-handed) configuration.