'Archichlamydeae' originates from New Latin, ultimately built from Greek elements 'archi-' and 'chlamys', where 'archi-' meant 'chief' or 'primitive' and 'chlamys' meant 'cloak' (used figuratively for a covering, here the perianth); the ending '-eae' is a Latin plural/feminine ending used in botanical group names.

'Archichlamydeae' was coined in 19th‑century botanical Latin (used in classification works such as Bentham & Hooker and Engler). As botanical nomenclature and phylogenetic understanding advanced, the artificial grouping 'Archichlamydeae' was replaced by clade-based names and fell out of common use.

Initially it meant 'plants with a primitive/primary perianth (a cloak-like covering) — i.e., polypetalous plants'; over time the term became an obsolete label for an artificial assemblage rather than a natural, phylogenetic group.