'autostereogram' originates from Greek elements: 'auto' (from Greek 'autos') meaning 'self', 'stereo' (from Greek 'stereos') meaning 'solid' or 'three-dimensional', and 'gram' (from Greek 'gramma') meaning 'thing written' or 'drawing'.

'autostereogram' was formed in English in the 20th century as a compound of these Greek elements to name images producing stereoscopic effects without separate left/right images; the term became especially used with the development and popularization of single-image stereograms in the late 20th century.

Initially the components literally conveyed 'self' + 'three-dimensional' + 'written/diagram'; over time the compound came to refer specifically to a 2D image that yields a 3D percept when viewed correctly.