'agillawood' originates from the combination of 'agil' and 'wood', where 'agil' is a variant of 'agar', referring to the fragrant resinous wood.

The term 'agillawood' evolved from the word 'agarwood', which is derived from the Malay word 'gaharu'.

Initially, it referred to the wood itself, but over time it has come to represent the resinous heartwood used in perfumes and incense.