'antennaria' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Antennaria', where 'antenna' meant 'a sail-yard or, by extension, a feeler/whisker (i.e., an 'antenna').'

'antennaria' was formed in Botanical (New) Latin by combining Latin 'antenna' with the suffix '-aria' (used to form names indicating connection or possession), and adopted as a genus name in modern taxonomy; Latin 'antenna' itself earlier referred to a yard of a sail and later was applied to feeler-like structures.

Initially, 'antenna' primarily meant 'sail-yard' in classical usage, but its sense shifted to 'feeler' (as in insect antennae); the botanical name 'antennaria' therefore uses the notion of 'antenna-like' or 'feeler-like' structures to name the plant genus.