'aviatrix' originates from Latin roots; specifically from 'avis' meaning 'bird' combined with the feminine agent suffix '-trix' (formed as the feminine counterpart to 'aviator').

'aviatrix' was formed as the feminine of 'aviator' (the latter coined in the 19th century from Latin 'avis' + agent suffix '-ator'); 'aviatrix' was used in the early 20th century to refer specifically to female pilots and appeared in English usage during the age of early aviation.

Initially, it meant 'a woman who flies an aircraft' (female aviator); over time the term became less common and somewhat archaic as gender-neutral terms like 'pilot' replaced it.