'autoradiograph' originates from New Latin/scientific coinage, combining the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'auto', meaning 'self'), 'radio-' (from Latin 'radius', meaning 'ray', later used to denote 'radiation') and the suffix '-graph' (from Greek 'graphein', meaning 'to write' or 'to record').

'autoradiograph' was formed in the early 20th century alongside the development of the technique 'autoradiography' (the process of creating such images). It builds on earlier formations such as 'radiograph' ('radio-' + '-graph'), with 'auto-' added to specify that the radiation emitted by the specimen itself produces the record.

Initially it referred specifically to the photographic record produced by the technique of autoradiography; over time it has remained a technical term with essentially the same meaning, denoting the radiation-produced image of a specimen.