'arithromania' originates from Greek, specifically the element 'arithmo-' from the Greek word 'arithmos', where 'arithmo-' meant 'number', combined with Greek 'mania' meaning 'madness' or 'frenzy'.

'arithromania' is a modern coinage formed from Greek elements; it is closely related to and sometimes used interchangeably with the variant 'arithmomania' (coined in modern European medical/psychological usage in the 19th century) and entered English via New Latin/medical terminology.

Initially coined to denote a pathological tendency to count or an obsessive interest in numbers, it has retained that specialized meaning and is used to describe both clinical compulsions and extreme nonclinical preoccupations with numbers.