'anonaceous' originates from New Latin, specifically the botanical family name 'Anonaceae' (from the Latinized genus name 'Annona'), where the genus name 'Annona' ultimately comes from Spanish 'anona' (or 'anón').

'anonaceous' changed from the botanical Latin family name 'Anonaceae' (formed from the genus 'Annona') and was adopted into English as the adjective meaning 'of or relating to Annonaceae'. The genus name 'Annona' itself traces back to Spanish 'anona' (borrowed from Taíno 'anón').

Initially the root referred to the fruit name ('annona' = a type of tropical fruit, the custard-apple); over time the derived family name and adjective came to mean 'relating to the Annonaceae family' in botanical usage.