'Anthomyia' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Greek roots: 'anthos' meaning 'flower' and 'myia' meaning 'fly'.

'Anthomyia' was coined as a New Latin scientific genus name using Greek elements and has been retained in modern entomological usage as the genus name 'Anthomyia'.

Initially it literally combined the elements 'flower' + 'fly'; over time it became established specifically as the taxonomic name for a genus of flies rather than a general descriptive phrase.