'balanophoraceae' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Balanophoraceae', where 'Balanophora' comes from Greek 'balanos' meaning 'acorn' and 'phoros' meaning 'bearing', and the suffix '-aceae' is a Modern Latin ending used to form names of plant families.

'Balanophora' was formed from Greek roots ('balanos' + 'phoros') and was Latinized as the genus name 'Balanophora'; subsequently, the family name 'Balanophoraceae' was created in Modern Latin by adding the standard family suffix '-aceae'.

Initially, the root elements evoked the sense 'acorn-bearing' (likely referring to a shape or structure); over time the term became fixed as the scientific name for a family of parasitic flowering plants and is now used taxonomically rather than descriptively.