'autoradiogram' originates from a combination of Greek and Latin roots: Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', Latin 'radius' meaning 'ray' (leading to 'radio-' for radiation), and Greek 'gramma' meaning 'something written' or 'record'.

'Autoradiogram' was formed in the 20th century as a technical compound (from 'autoradiography' + the suffix '-gram') to denote the recorded image produced by radioactive emissions; it entered scientific English usage in contexts such as biochemistry and radiography.

Originally, elements like 'radiograph' or 'radiogram' referred more generally to records made by rays or radio transmissions; over time 'autoradiogram' came to mean specifically a photographic record made by radioactive decay emissions from a labeled sample.