'anthroponomics' originates from Modern English, specifically formed by combining Greek elements 'anthropo-' and '-nomics', where 'anthropos' meant 'human' and 'nomos' meant 'law, custom, or management'.

'anthroponomics' was coined as a modern blend (analogous to 'economics') by attaching the combining form 'anthropo-' to the bound morpheme '-nomics' (itself from Greek 'oikonomikos' via Latin and French into English), producing a term meaning roughly 'human-related economics'.

Initially coined to denote a human-centered approach to economic study ('economics of humans'), its use has broadened to cover interdisciplinary analyses that apply economic reasoning to human cultural and social phenomena.