'archivist' originates from French (specifically the word 'archiviste') and ultimately from Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'archivum' and Greek 'arkheion', where 'arkhē' meant 'rule' or 'office' and ' -ion' indicated a place (hence 'public office' or 'official residence').

'arkheion' (Greek, meaning 'public office' or 'official building') passed into Late Latin/Medieval Latin as 'archivum' meaning 'a place where public records are kept', then into Old French as 'archive(s)' and later French 'archiviste'; English adopted the sense and form, producing 'archivist' to denote a person who cares for archives.

Initially, related words referred to the place or repository for official records ('archives'); over time the term evolved to refer to the person responsible for those records, giving the modern meaning 'a keeper or manager of archives.'