'ankerite' originates from the proper name 'Anker' combined with the mineral-forming suffix '-ite' (from Greek '-ites'), where '-ites' meant 'connected with' or 'of'.

'ankerite' was coined in the 19th century as a mineral name by attaching the common mineral suffix '-ite' to the name 'Anker' to denote the mineral associated with or described by that name, resulting in the modern English 'ankerite'.

Initially it referred specifically to the mineral named after a person called 'Anker'; over time the term has remained stable and is used generally for the iron-bearing dolomite mineral.