'ansata' originates from Latin, specifically the adjective 'ansātus/ansāta' (from 'ansa'), where 'ansa' meant 'handle' or 'loop'.

'ansata' entered English usage chiefly in fixed phrases such as 'crux ansata' borrowed from Latin; it was used in ecclesiastical and antiquarian descriptions and retained its Latin form in English.

Initially it meant 'with a handle' in Latin, and this technical sense has been preserved in modern usage (especially in descriptions of artifacts).