'balaenoidea' originates from New Latin, specifically formed from the Latin word 'Balaena' (meaning 'whale') combined with the taxonomic suffix '-oidea' (from Greek '-oeidēs', meaning 'resembling' or 'form').

'balaenoidea' developed from Latin 'balaena', which in turn was borrowed from Greek 'phálaina' (φαλάινα, 'whale'); the New Latin taxonomic formation 'Balaenoidea' was created to denote a superfamily.

Initially the root referred simply to 'whale' (via Latin/Greek), but over time the term evolved into a scientific taxonomic name meaning 'a superfamily of certain baleen whales (e.g., right whales)'.