'D-arabitol' originates from New Latin/chemical nomenclature, specifically the word 'arabitol', where 'arabit-' refers to 'arabinose' (named after 'gum arabic') and the suffix '-ol'/'-itol' indicates an alcohol (a sugar alcohol); the prefix 'D-' denotes the D-configuration (from Latin 'dexter', meaning 'right').

'Arabinose' was named after 'gum arabic' (from Arabic sources); the reduced alcohol form of arabinose became known as 'arabitol' in chemical literature, and stereochemical notation ('D-' and 'L-') was later appended to specify the configuration, yielding the modern term 'D-arabitol'.

Initially it denoted the alcohol derived from arabinose in general; over time it came to denote specifically the D stereoisomer used and reported in biochemical and clinical contexts.