'astrophotographer' is formed in modern English from the combining form 'astro-' (from Greek 'astron' meaning 'star') + 'photographer' (from Greek 'phōtós' 'light' + 'gráphein' 'to write', via English 'photograph' + agent suffix '-er').

'photograph' originated in the 19th century from Greek roots via modern European languages; 'photographer' followed as the agent noun. The prefix 'astro-' (from Greek 'astron') was attached to 'photographer' in the late 19th to early 20th century as astrophotography developed, producing the compound 'astrophotographer'.

The term has consistently meant 'a person who photographs celestial objects'; its core sense has remained stable as the practice and technology of astrophotography evolved.