'betonica' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'betonica', where the term referred to the plant betony (a medicinal herb).

'betonica' changed from the Greek word 'βετόνικα' (betonika) and the Late/Medieval Latin 'betonica', and eventually gave rise to the modern English common name 'betony'.

Initially, it meant 'the betony plant' (a medicinal herb), and over time this core meaning has remained, though the botanical classification has shifted.