'Gymnospermopsida' originates from Modern New Latin (botanical Latin), composed of Greek roots: 'gymno-' from Greek 'gumnos' meaning 'naked', 'sperma' meaning 'seed', and the suffix '-opsida' (from Greek 'opsis') used in botanical classification to denote a group or appearance.

'Gymnospermopsida' was formed in botanical/Latin usage by combining the Greek-derived elements into a classname; it reflects the same root elements used to coin 'gymnosperm' in 19th-century botanical literature and was adopted in various formal and informal classification schemes over time.

Initially the components signified the literal idea of 'naked-seeded appearance'; over time the compounded term evolved into a formal taxonomic label referring to a class or grouping of seed plants without flowers (gymnosperms).