'araucarioxylon' originates from New Latin, specifically a compound formed from 'Araucaria' (the modern conifer genus name) and the Greek element 'xylon', where 'Araucaria' referred to that genus and 'xylon' meant 'wood'.

'araucarioxylon' was coined in 19th-century palaeobotanical literature as a taxonomic name for fossil wood; it follows a common practice of combining a modern genus name with Greek 'xylon' to denote wood or timber in fossil taxa.

Initially it designated fossil wood thought to belong to or closely resemble Araucaria; over time the term has been used more broadly for petrified conifer wood with particular anatomical features and its taxonomic application has been revised by specialists.