'aramid' originates in modern chemical English as a contraction of 'aromatic' + 'amide', where 'aromatic' referred to molecules with an aromatic ring structure and 'amide' referred to the chemical functional group derived from ammonia.

'aramid' developed as a technical term in the mid-20th century when aromatic polyamides (notably Kevlar and Nomex) were commercialized; the longer phrase 'aromatic polyamide' was shortened to 'aramid' in industry and scientific literature.

Initially it referred specifically to the class of aromatic polyamide polymers; over time it has come to denote the fibers and materials made from those polymers as well as the polymers themselves, with the core meaning remaining largely stable.