'acrux' originates from the combination of 'A' for Alpha and 'Crux', the Latin word for 'cross', referring to its position in the Crux constellation.

'acrux' was derived from the Latin 'crux', meaning 'cross', and was combined with 'Alpha' to denote its status as the brightest star in the constellation.

Initially, it referred to the star's position in the Crux constellation, and this meaning has remained consistent.