'arteriosympathectomy' originates from modern medical New Latin/English formation, combining the prefix 'arterio-' (from Latin 'arteria', ultimately from Greek 'artēria') meaning 'artery', with 'sympathectomy' composed of Greek 'sympathētikos'/'sympathēs' meaning 'sympathetic' and the suffix '-ectomy' from Greek 'ektomē' meaning 'excision'.

'arteriosympathectomy' developed as a compound surgical term in the 19th–20th centuries from the earlier surgical term 'sympathectomy' (mid-19th century). 'Sympathectomy' itself was formed from Greek roots and the surgical suffix '-ectomy', and later combined with the arterial prefix 'arterio-' to specify sympathetic denervation of arteries.

Initially, related surgical terms broadly described removal or division of sympathetic nerves; over time 'arteriosympathectomy' came to denote specifically the procedure targeting sympathetic fibers associated with arteries to relieve vasospasm or improve arterial blood flow.