'automaker' originates from a combination of elements: the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos') and the noun 'maker' (from Old English roots), where 'autos' meant 'self' and the ancestor of 'maker' (Old English 'macian'/'macere') meant 'to make'.

'automaker' developed as a condensed compound from phrases like 'automobile maker' in English during the early 20th century (after the invention and spread of the automobile), eventually becoming the standard single-word form 'automaker'.

Initially it referred specifically to a 'maker of automobiles' and over time has retained that core meaning while expanding to include companies that design and produce a range of motor vehicles (including electric vehicles).