'Arizonan' originates from the place name 'Arizona' (Spanish), which itself most likely derives from the O'odham phrase 'alĭ ṣonak' (or a similar indigenous form) meaning 'small spring' or 'place of small springs'; the English adjectival/person-forming suffix '-an' (from Latin/Old French) was added to form 'Arizonan'.

'Arizonan' developed from the toponym 'Arizona' (Spanish 'Arizona', borrowed from an indigenous language) plus the suffix '-an' (used in English to form adjectives and demonyms), producing 'Arizonan' to denote someone or something from Arizona.

Initially the root referred to the place name 'Arizona' (originally naming a locality associated with small springs); over time the derived form 'Arizonan' came to mean 'a person from Arizona' and also functions adjectivally as 'of or relating to Arizona'.