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

'autogyro' was coined in the early 1920s (notably by or in reference to the work of Juan de la Cierva) from Spanish 'autogiro'; the English form 'autogyro' and alternative spellings like 'autogiro' and 'gyroplane' were used as the term entered international aviation vocabulary.

Initially, it referred specifically to the rotorcraft invented in the 1920s that used an unpowered rotor for lift; over time the term has stayed largely consistent and is used generically for similar rotorcraft (also called gyrocopters or gyroplanes).