'Erzherzogin' originates from German, specifically the compound 'Erzherzog' plus the feminine suffix '-in', where 'Erz-' meant 'arch' or 'principal' and 'Herzog' meant 'duke' (from Old High German elements meaning 'army' and 'leader').

'Erzherzogin' developed from Middle High German formations (e.g. earlier feminine forms of 'Erzherzog') and was influenced as a calque of Latin/Medieval Latin titles such as 'archidux'/'archiduca', eventually becoming the modern German 'Erzherzogin'.

Initially it denoted a woman holding the rank corresponding to an 'Erzherzog' (whether by birth or marriage); over time it stabilized into the modern sense of 'archduchess'.