'anthropomancy' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'anthrōpos' and 'manteia', where 'anthrōpos' meant 'human' and 'manteia' meant 'divination'.

'anthropomancy' was formed in Medieval/Modern usage from Greek roots (attested as forms like 'anthropomantia' in Medieval Latin) and entered English as the specialized term 'anthropomancy'.

Initially, it referred specifically to divination using human bodies or entrails; over time the term has remained narrowly defined and is now used mainly in historical or scholarly contexts to describe that archaic practice.