'atlantes' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'atlantes', the plural of 'Atlas', which itself comes from Greek 'Ἄτλας' (Atlas), the name of the Titan who bore up the heavens.

'atlantes' changed from the Greek mythological name 'Atlas' and the Latin/Medieval Latin use 'atlas' and was extended in Renaissance and early modern usage to denote (1) collections of maps (after Mercator's and other cartographers' works titled 'Atlas') and (2) sculpted male figures used as architectural supports; the plural form 'atlantes' follows the Latin/Greek plural pattern.

Initially it referred to the mythic Titan 'Atlas'; over time the word came to be applied metaphorically to two main senses: the book of maps called an 'atlas' and the sculptural figure (plural 'atlantes') used as a support.