'benzenamine' originates from modern chemical nomenclature, specifically the combination of 'benzene' + 'amine', where 'benzene' names the six-carbon aromatic ring and 'amine' denotes an organic derivative of ammonia.

'benzene' ultimately derives from 'benzoin' (via medieval Latin and French forms such as 'benzoë'/'benzein'), which itself traces back to Arabic 'lubān jāwī' (meaning 'frankincense of Java'); 'amine' comes from 'ammonia' (Latinized from Arabic/Medieval Latin roots) and the suffix '-ine' used in chemical names. The modern compound name 'benzenamine' developed through systematic chemical naming to indicate an amine derived from benzene, and it is synonymous with the older trivial name 'aniline'.

Initially related names referred to resins or substances obtained from natural sources (e.g. 'benzoin'); over time, as organic chemistry developed, the term evolved into a systematic name indicating a benzene-derived amine, now meaning specifically the compound C6H5NH2.