'coccyxal' originates from New Latin (from Greek), specifically the word 'coccyx' (from Greek 'kokkux'), where 'kokkux' meant 'cuckoo'; the adjectival suffix '-al' comes via Latin/French meaning 'pertaining to'.

'coccyxal' developed from Late/New Latin 'coccyx' (borrowed into English from Latin/Medieval Latin), itself from Greek 'kokkux' meaning 'cuckoo'; English formed the adjective by adding the suffix '-al' to produce 'coccyxal'.

Initially, the root referred to the 'cuckoo' (Greek 'kokkux') because the bone's shape was thought to resemble a cuckoo's beak; over time the term came to denote the anatomical bone itself, and 'coccyxal' now means 'relating to the coccyx (tailbone)'.