'auriculariaceae' originates from New Latin, specifically from the genus name 'Auricularia' combined with the standard botanical family suffix '-aceae', where 'auricula' (Latin) meant 'little ear'.

'auriculariaceae' developed from the genus name 'Auricularia' (from Latin 'auricula') with the family-forming suffix '-aceae' used in modern botanical and mycological nomenclature to denote a family, producing the modern family name 'Auriculariaceae'.

Initially the root referred to 'little ear' describing the ear-shaped fruiting bodies; over time the formed name came to denote the taxonomic family of fungi that share that ear-like morphology.