'anklebones' is a compound formed from 'ankle' + 'bone'. 'Ankle' originates from Old English (recorded forms such as 'ancele' or 'ancle'), ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root related to bending or a joint; 'bone' originates from Old English 'bān' meaning 'bone'.

'ankle' moved from Old English forms like 'ancele' into Middle English as 'ankle' and was later combined with 'bone' to form compounds such as 'anklebone' and its plural 'anklebones' in modern English.

Originally the elements referred generally to the joint ('ankle') and to skeletal material ('bone'); over time the compound came to be used specifically for the bones at or around the ankle (including the malleoli).