'autopoint' originates from a combination of elements: the Greek root 'autos' meaning 'self' and the English/French word 'point' (from Old French 'point', from Latin 'punctum') meaning 'point' or 'sharp end'.

'autopoint' was formed as a compound (Auto + Point) and adopted as a trademark/brand name in the early 20th century for a particular style of mechanical pencil; over time the single-word form 'Autopoint' became the standard brand spelling and in some usage the term was genericized to refer to similar pencils.

Initially it conveyed the idea of 'self-pointing' or 'automatic-point' (an automatic/ self-advancing writing tip); over time it came to denote specifically the Autopoint brand of mechanical pencils and, by extension in some contexts, any similar mechanical pencil.