'aunthood' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the noun 'aunt' + the suffix '-hood' (from Old English 'hād'), where '-hood' meant 'state, condition, or quality'.

'aunt' comes into English via Old French (e.g. 'ante') from Latin 'amita' meaning 'father's sister'; the suffix '-hood' derives from Old English 'hād'. These elements combined in Modern English to form 'aunthood' by analogy with words like 'motherhood' and 'sisterhood'.

Initially, the components meant 'father's sister' (aunt) and 'state/condition' respectively; combined, the term has meant 'the state of being an aunt' and later has also taken on a collective/social sense of 'the community or identity of aunts'.