'black-coral' originates from English, combining the adjective 'black' (from Old English 'blæc') and the noun 'coral' (from Latin 'corallium' via Old French), where 'black' meant 'dark in color' and 'coral' referred to the marine invertebrate.

'coral' changed from Latin 'corallium' into Old French 'coral' and then into Middle English 'coral', and the compound 'black coral' developed in modern English to describe dark-skeleton corals.

Initially, 'coral' generally referred to the marine organism; over time the compound 'black coral' came to specify corals with dark/horny skeletons often valued for jewelry.