'arteriectopia' originates from modern medical formation combining Latin/Greek elements: 'arteri-' from Latin 'arteria' (from Greek 'artēria', meaning 'windpipe' historically used for 'artery') and Greek 'ektopía' (ἐκτοπία) 'out of place'.

'arteriectopia' was formed in modern medical Latin/English as a compound of 'arteri-' (referring to 'artery') and 'ectopia' (from Greek 'ektopos', 'out of place'). The term has appeared in clinical and anatomical descriptions from the late 19th to 20th century onward as a technical descriptor for displaced arteries.

Initially, the elements literally meant 'artery' + 'out of place'; over time the compound has been used specifically in medicine to denote an artery located abnormally, with the core sense remaining consistent.