'anglophobist' originates from English, specifically from the combining form 'Anglo-' (from Medieval Latin 'Anglus', ‘Englishman/English’) and Greek 'phobos', where 'phob-' meant 'fear', plus the agentive suffix '-ist' meaning 'one who is characterized by'.

'anglophobia' and 'anglophobe' in 19th‑century English gave rise to the derivative 'anglophobist', which settled into the modern English form 'anglophobist'.

Initially, it meant 'a person who fears or hates the English or things English', and this meaning has remained essentially the same in modern usage.