'aphanapteryx' originates from Modern scientific Latin (a coinage used as a genus name), ultimately from Ancient Greek 'aphanēs' meaning 'unseen, invisible' and 'pteryx' meaning 'wing.'

'aphanapteryx' was coined in 19th-century zoological nomenclature by combining Greek elements; the formation entered Modern Latin scientific usage as the official genus name for the extinct Mascarene rail.

Initially the Greek components literally mean 'invisible wing' (referring to reduced or hidden wings of a flightless bird); over time the compound has been used specifically as the taxonomic name for the extinct bird genus rather than a literal descriptive phrase.