'autogiro' originates from Spanish, specifically the word 'autogiro', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'giro' meant 'turn' (from Greek 'gyros' meaning 'circle' or 'turn').

'autogiro' was coined in Spanish in the 1920s by inventor Juan de la Cierva for his rotorcraft; English borrowed the term as 'autogiro' and later also used the variant 'autogyro', both referring to the same type of rotorcraft.

Initially it referred specifically to Cierva's patented rotorcraft, but over time it came to denote more generally any rotorcraft whose lift is produced by an unpowered, freely turning rotor (also called autogyro or gyroplane).