'autohexaploid' originates from combining classical Greek-derived elements: 'auto-' (Greek 'autos') meaning 'self', 'hexa-' (Greek 'hex') meaning 'six', and the suffix '-ploid' (from Modern Latin/Greek roots related to 'fold' or 'multiplicity').

'autohexaploid' was formed in modern genetics by combining the prefix 'auto-' with the established cytogenetic term 'hexaploid' (itself from 'hexa-' + '-ploid'), following the pattern of terms like 'autopolyploid' and 'allohexaploid'.

Initially coined to denote specifically a sixfold chromosome set of self-origin; this technical meaning has remained stable within genetics and cytology.