'antlerite' originates from English, specifically the locality name 'Antler' (the Antler mine in the United States) combined with the mineral suffix '-ite', used to name minerals discovered at that locality.

'antlerite' was coined in the 20th century as a mineral name by combining the place-name 'Antler' with the conventional mineral suffix '-ite'; the term entered mineralogical literature to designate the distinct copper sulfate-hydroxide species.

Initially it meant 'the mineral found at the Antler locality'; over time the name has come to denote the specific chemical mineral species Cu3(SO4)(OH)4 regardless of locality.