'cerefolium' originates from New Latin (botanical Latin), specifically formed from a Latinized form related to Greek 'chaerophyllon', where 'chaero-'/ 'chaer-' related to the plant name and 'phyllon' meant 'leaf'.

'cerefolium' changed from earlier classical and medieval forms such as Greek 'chaerophyllon' and Medieval Latin 'chaerophyllum', and eventually became the Neo-Latin/botanical form 'cerefolium' used in modern scientific names.

Initially, the inherited forms referred to the plant now called chervil; over time this sense was retained and stabilized as the botanical epithet and occasional common-noun usage for the herb.