'astatine' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'astatos', where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'statos' meant 'stable' or 'standing'.

'astatine' was formed in New Latin as 'astatinum' (named after the Greek word) and eventually entered modern English as 'astatine' following its identification as an element in the 20th century.

Initially the Greek root meant 'not stable' or 'unstable'; over time this root became the basis for the element name 'astatine', emphasizing the element's extreme instability (radioactivity).