'darter' ultimately derives from the verb 'dart' + the agentive suffix '-er'. The verb 'dart' entered Middle English from Old French (compare 'darder', 'to thrust') or related Romance sources, meaning 'to move or throw quickly'.

'darter' formed in English by attaching '-er' to the verb 'dart' (Middle English 'darten'/'darten'), producing an agent noun meaning 'one that darts'; later the term was applied by analogy to swift-moving birds and fishes.

Initially it meant 'one that darts' or 'that which moves or thrusts quickly'; over time the word came to be used as a common name for certain water birds and small freshwater fishes noted for sudden, rapid movements.