'asterina' originates from New Latin (taxonomic Latin) via Latin and Greek, specifically from Greek 'aster' where 'aster' meant 'star' and the diminutive suffix '-ina' meant 'little'.

'aster' (Greek) passed into Latin as 'aster' and, in Medieval/Modern Latin usage for biological classification, became 'Asterina' as a genus name; this taxonomic form was adopted into modern scientific nomenclature.

Initially, it meant 'little star' (a diminutive of 'star'), but over time it evolved into a modern taxonomic name applied to star-shaped organisms or small, star-like species (e.g., certain starfishes and leaf-parasitic fungi).