'arista' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'arista', where it meant 'awn, ear (of grain) or beard'.

'arista' passed through Medieval Latin into modern scientific English and was adopted unchanged in botanical and entomological terminology.

Initially it meant 'awn of grain' in Latin; over time the sense broadened in scientific usage to mean any bristle-like appendage (for example on insect antennae) and, more rarely, a sharp ridge.