'aretalogy' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'aretē' and 'logia', where 'aretē' meant 'virtue' and 'logia' meant 'speech' or 'discourse'.

'aretalogy' was formed in English from Greek elements via Modern/Neo-Latin formation (modeled on compounds like 'hagiology' or 'angelology') and entered usage in the 18th–19th century as a learned term.

Initially it often referred specifically to a catalogue of a saint's virtues or miracles; over time it broadened to mean any formal enumeration or high praise of virtues.