'archegoniophore' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'archegonium' combined with the Greek-derived suffix '-phore' (from Greek 'phoros'), where 'arche-' meant 'beginning' or 'chief', 'gonos' meant 'offspring' or 'seed', and 'phoros' meant 'bearing'.

'archegoniophore' developed from the Greek 'arkhēgōnion' (rendered in New/Medieval Latin as 'archegonium') combined with the suffix '-phore' (from Greek 'phoros'), and entered modern scientific English as the compound form 'archegoniophore'.

Initially it referred specifically to a structure 'bearing the archegonium'; over time the term has retained that precise botanical meaning in modern usage.