'Judeophobia' originates from New Latin/Greek components: the prefix 'Judeo-' (via Latin 'Judaeus' from Greek 'Ioudaios', meaning 'Jew') and the suffix '-phobia' from Greek 'phobos', where 'phobos' meant 'fear'.

'Judeophobia' was formed in modern English by combining 'Judeo-' + '-phobia' (a coinage pattern seen in the late 19th to 20th centuries), ultimately deriving from Latin 'Judaeus' and Greek 'phobos'.

Initially it denoted primarily a fear of Jews ('fear of Jews'), but over time its usage broadened to include hostility, prejudice, or hatred toward Jews, overlapping with the concept of antisemitism.