'aquilegia' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'aquilegia', where 'aquila' meant 'eagle' (a reference to the shape of the petals).

'aquilegia' entered Medieval/Scientific Latin from classical Latin and was later adopted into Modern English botanical usage as 'aquilegia' (and occasionally in anglicized form as 'columbine' in common speech).

Initially associated with the Latin root meaning 'eagle' because the flower's petals were thought to resemble an eagle's talon or beak; over time the term came to be used specifically as the botanical name for the genus 'aquilegia' (columbines).