'balistes' originates from Modern Latin, specifically the word 'Balistes', ultimately from Greek 'ballistēs' where the root 'ballein' meant 'to throw'.

'balistes' changed from the Greek word 'ballistēs' and was adopted into New/Scientific Latin as 'Balistes' before entering English usage as the taxonomic genus name 'balistes'.

Initially it meant 'thrower' (from Greek), but over time it evolved into its current meaning as the name of a genus of fishes ('triggerfishes').