'androecy' originates from New Latin 'androecium', ultimately from Ancient Greek, specifically from the elements 'andr-' (from Greek 'anḗr, andrós' meaning 'man, male') and 'oikos' meaning 'house'.

'androecium' was formed in New Latin from Greek elements and was used in botanical Latin to denote the 'house of the male (parts)'; this term was adopted into English as 'androecy' to denote the collective male organs or the male condition in plants.

Initially formed from elements meaning 'man's house' (literally 'house of the male'), it came to be used in botanical contexts to mean 'the collective male reproductive parts (stamens)' and, by extension, the state of bearing male flowers.