'arsenobenzene' originates from English (modern chemical nomenclature), specifically the combination of the prefix 'arseno-' (from 'arsenic') and the word 'benzene', where 'arseno-' referred to the element arsenic and 'benzene' referred to the aromatic hydrocarbon 'benzene'.

'arseno-' traces back through Latin 'arsenicum' and Greek 'arsènikon' (originally referring to arsenic), while 'benzene' evolved from Medieval Latin 'benzoinum' (from the resin name 'benzoin'), itself from Arabic terms for aromatic resins; the chemical name developed in the 19th century by combining these element/component names into the modern compound name 'arsenobenzene'.

Initially the component parts identified the constituent element ('arseno-' = arsenic) and hydrocarbon ('benzene'); over time the fused term 'arsenobenzene' has been used specifically to denote the organoarsenic compound in which a phenyl group is bonded to arsenic.