'anthroponym' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'anthrōpos' and 'ónoma', where 'anthrōpos' meant 'human' and 'ónoma' meant 'name'.

'anthroponym' was coined in modern scholarly usage from the Greek elements 'anthrōpos' + 'ónoma' and entered English usage in the 19th century as a technical term in onomastics.

Initially, it meant 'a human name' and over time has retained this core meaning as a term for personal names.