'curculionid' originates from Modern Latin, specifically the word 'Curculio', where 'Curculio' meant 'a kind of weevil (a beetle)'; the taxonomic suffix '-id' comes from New Latin/Greek roots meaning 'belonging to' or 'descendant of'.

'curculionid' changed from the Neo-Latin family name 'Curculionidae' (formed from 'Curculio' + '-idae') and was adopted into English as 'curculionid' to refer to members of that family.

Initially it referred to the Latin name for a particular weevil ('Curculio'); over time it evolved to denote any member of the family Curculionidae (weevils) in modern scientific and common usage.