'Antikamnia' is a coined trade name formed in modern English; the initial element 'anti-' is from Greek meaning 'against', while the second element 'kamnia' appears to be a coined or fanciful element used in the brand name rather than a direct borrowing from a classical word.

'Antikamnia' was adopted as the trademarked name of an analgesic produced by the Antikamnia Chemical Company in the United States in the late 19th century; the brand name entered medical and popular usage in that period and later declined as pharmaceutical regulations and safer analgesics emerged.

Initially it referred specifically to the branded tablets sold by the Antikamnia company; over time it has come to be a historical reference to that class of proprietary analgesic tablets and to the brand in historical discussions.