'anisometrope' originates from modern medical formation based on Greek elements, specifically 'aniso-' from Greek 'anisos' meaning 'unequal' and 'metropia' (from Greek 'metron' meaning 'measure' and 'ops' meaning 'eye').

'anisometrope' was formed in modern medical/ophthalmic usage from the condition name 'anisometropia' (late 19th to early 20th century) to denote a person affected by that condition, adapting the noun form to refer to an individual.

Initially, the related formation referred to the condition 'anisometropia' (unequal refraction between the eyes); over time the form 'anisometrope' came to be used to mean 'a person who has anisometropia' (the individual rather than only the condition).