'aureomycin' originates from Latin and Greek elements: from Latin 'aureus' meaning 'golden' and the suffix '-mycin' (from Greek 'mykēs'/'mykes' meaning 'fungus'), the latter commonly used for antibiotics derived from microbial sources.

'aureomycin' was coined in the mid-20th century from the name of the producing organism 'Streptomyces aureofaciens' (literally 'golden-producing') combined with the antibiotic suffix '-mycin', and adopted as a commercial/trade name for the drug.

Initially it referred specifically to the antibiotic produced by 'Streptomyces aureofaciens'; over time the name became associated with (and often used interchangeably with) 'chlortetracycline' as a drug name.