'apiarist' originates from modern English 'apiary' with the agentive suffix '-ist', ultimately from Latin 'apis' meaning 'bee'.

'apiarist' developed in English from 'apiary' (late 18th–19th century) combined with '-ist' to denote a person associated with an apiary; 'apiary' itself comes from Latin 'apiarium' (a place of bees) based on 'apis'.

Initially it referred to a person associated with an apiary or the keeping of bees; over time it has come to be used simply as 'beekeeper' or 'one who keeps/studies bees'.