'cryovial' is a compound formed from the prefix 'cryo-' and the noun 'vial'; 'cryo-' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'kryos', where 'kryos' meant 'frost, cold', and 'vial' originates from Old French 'viale' (from Latin/Greek 'phiala'), where 'phiala' meant 'a bowl or vessel'.

'vial' changed from the Greek word 'phiale' to the Latin/Old French forms 'phiala'/'viale' and eventually became the modern English word 'vial' through Middle English; 'cryo-' is a modern combining form derived from Greek 'kryos' and was applied to coinages relating to very low temperature, yielding compounds like 'cryopreservation' and 'cryovial'.

Originally 'phiale' referred to a bowl or libation vessel; over time it narrowed to mean a small bottle or vial. 'Kryos' originally meant 'frost' or 'icy cold' and evolved into the productive prefix 'cryo-' used to indicate very low-temperature processes or preservation, together producing the modern sense 'a vial for cryogenic storage'.