'cryogenic' originates from Greek roots, specifically 'kryo-' from Greek 'kruos' meaning 'cold, frost' and '-genic' from Greek 'genēs'/'genic' meaning 'producing' or 'born of'.

'cryogenic' was formed in modern scientific usage by combining the Greek elements 'kryo-' and '-genic' (a New Latin/Greek coinage pattern) and entered English as a scientific adjective in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Initially the roots meant 'cold' and 'producing'; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'producing, involving, or relating to very low temperatures' in scientific and technical contexts.