'Atlantis' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'Ἀτλαντίς (Atlantis)', where 'Atlas' referred to the mythological figure 'Atlas' and the element '-is' indicated possession ('of Atlas').

'Atlantis' changed from the Ancient Greek word 'Ἀτλαντίς' to the Latin 'Atlantis', and later entered English through classical and Renaissance scholarship as the modern name 'Atlantis'.

Initially, it meant 'island of Atlas' or 'belonging to Atlas', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a 'legendary lost island/continent' and, by extension, a metaphor for a lost civilization.