'Indigofera' originates from Latin (New/Scientific Latin), specifically from the compound of the word 'indigo' and the suffix '-fera', where 'indigo' (from Greek 'indikón') meant 'Indian dye' and '-fera' (from Latin 'ferre') meant 'to bear'.

'Indigofera' was coined in New (botanical) Latin based on earlier words: Greek 'indikón' passed into Latin as 'indigo', and the Latin suffix '-fera' (from 'ferre' 'to bear') was added to form a botanical genus name; this Linnaean-era formation led to the modern botanical name 'Indigofera'.

Initially the components meant 'bearing indigo' (i.e., 'that which bears indigo'), and over time the compound became the fixed scientific name for a genus of plants rather than a descriptive phrase.