'atacameño' (rendered here without the tilde as 'atacameno') originates from Spanish, derived from the place name 'Atacama' plus the Spanish demonym-forming suffix '-eño' meaning 'from' or 'of'.

'Atacama' is a toponym of indigenous origin (often attributed to the Kunza or other local languages). The Spanish term 'Atacameño' developed to mean 'a person from Atacama' and entered usage in Spanish colonial and modern contexts; the form without the tilde ('atacameno') is an orthographic variant sometimes seen in languages or contexts that omit diacritics.

Initially a geographic/demonymic label meaning 'from Atacama'; it has retained that core sense and also extends to describe cultural or material attributes associated with the region (e.g., 'atacameno pottery').