'erotes' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the plural ἔρωτες (erōtes), from ἔρως (erōs) meaning 'love' or 'desire'.

'erotes' comes from the Ancient Greek plural ἔρωτες; the singular 'Eros' entered English via Latin and modern scholarship, and the plural form was adopted in art-historical and classical contexts as 'erotes.'

Initially it referred broadly to 'love' or 'desire' (ἔρως), but in modern English use the plural 'erotes' specifically denotes the mythological love-deities or decorative motifs representing them.