'Arminian' originates from the Latinized surname 'Arminius', taken from the name of the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (late 16th–early 17th century); the English adjective/noun was formed to denote those who followed his teachings.

'Arminian' developed from the Latin/Neo-Latin form 'Arminianus' and entered English in the early 17th century to describe followers of Arminius; over time it stabilized as 'Arminian' in modern English usage.

Initially it specifically meant 'a follower of Arminius' (a person who adhered to Jacobus Arminius's views); over time it has retained that sense but also functions more broadly as an adjective meaning 'relating to Arminianism' or its doctrines.