'electroplate' originates from a combination of the prefix 'electro-' and the word 'plate'. 'Electro-' comes from Greek, specifically the word 'ēlektron', where 'ēlektron' meant 'amber' (later associated with electricity). 'Plate' originates from Old French 'plate' (from Latin/plausibly Late Latin roots) meaning 'flat metal sheet'.

'electroplate' was coined in the 19th century after developments in electrochemistry and electrolysis; it combines 'electro-' (from Greek) with English 'plate' to describe the process of plating by electric current, eventually giving the adjectival/past form 'electroplated'.

Initially it referred specifically to the technical process 'to plate by electricity'; over time it has retained that core meaning and also become used adjectivally to describe objects that have been so plated.