'annabergite' originates from German, specifically the place name 'Annaberg' (a mining town in Saxony), combined with the mineral suffix '-ite' (from Greek '-ίτης') meaning 'connected with' or 'of'.

'annabergite' was coined in the 19th century after the town Annaberg where the mineral was first described; the name is a combination of 'Annaberg' + '-ite', forming the mineral name 'annabergite'.

Initially the name referred specifically to specimens from the Annaberg locality, but over time it came to denote the nickel arsenate mineral species regardless of origin.