'alkene' originates from the combination of 'alkyl' and the suffix '-ene', where 'alkyl' refers to a group derived from an alkane by removal of a hydrogen atom, and '-ene' indicates the presence of a double bond.

The term 'alkene' was coined in the late 19th century to describe hydrocarbons with double bonds, evolving from the earlier term 'olefine'.

Initially, it referred to any unsaturated hydrocarbon, but now it specifically denotes hydrocarbons with one or more double bonds.