'aquafarming' originates from Latin 'aqua' and English 'farming', specifically the Latin word 'aqua', where 'aqua' meant 'water', and the English element 'farming' (from Old English and later Middle English roots) meaning 'cultivation/raising'.

'aquafarming' is a modern English compound formed by combining Latin-derived 'aqua' (water) with English 'farming' (which developed from Old English/Middle English roots such as 'feorm'/'ferm'), and it emerged in the 20th century as a more agricultural-sounding term alongside 'aquaculture'.

Initially used interchangeably with 'aquaculture' to denote cultivation of aquatic organisms, the term has come to emphasize commercial farming methods and production practices in modern usage.