'atlatl' originates from Nahuatl, specifically the word 'ātlātl', where it meant 'spear-thrower'.

'atlatl' passed into Spanish as 'atlátl' and was adopted into English (via Spanish usage and archaeological literature) in the 18th–19th centuries as 'atlatl'.

Initially, it meant 'spear-thrower' in Nahuatl, and over time it has retained that core meaning; in modern English it is used mainly in archaeological and historical contexts to refer to the same tool.