'arch-nonconformist' originates in Modern English as a compound formed from the prefix 'arch-' and the noun 'nonconformist'. 'arch-' ultimately comes from Greek 'arkhos' (via Latin/Old French), where 'arkhos' meant 'chief, principal'; 'non-' is a negative prefix (Old English/Latin), and 'conformist' derives from 'conform' (Latin 'conformare' 'to form according to').

'nonconformist' first gained specific usage in 17th-century England to denote Protestants who would not conform to the Church of England. The prefix 'arch-' has long been used in English compounds (e.g. 'archenemy', 'archbishop') as an intensifier from Greek via Latin/Old French. Sometime in later modern usage (19th–20th century onward) speakers coined the compound 'arch-nonconformist' to label someone as an especially prominent or extreme nonconformist.

Individually, 'arch-' meant 'chief' or served as an intensifier, and 'nonconformist' meant 'one who refuses to conform' (originally often in a religious context). Combined, the compound's meaning became 'an extreme or foremost nonconformist,' used more broadly to describe pronounced rejection of social or cultural norms.