'arrenotokous' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'arrhenōtokos' (ἀρρηνοτόκος), where 'arrhen-' meant 'male' and 'tokos' (from 'tokos' or 'tokos/τόκος') meant 'birth' or 'offspring'.

'arrenotokous' is a scientific/New Latin formation based on the Greek root 'arrhenōtokos'; it entered English scientific usage in the 19th century via entomological and zoological literature, modeled on classical-Greek compounds.

Initially coined to denote 'producing male offspring,' the term has remained specialized with essentially the same biological meaning in modern usage.