'ferrotype' originates from Latin and Greek roots, specifically the Latin word 'ferrum' where 'ferr-' meant 'iron' and the Greek word 'typos' where 'typ-' meant 'impression' or 'form'.

'ferrotype' was coined in the mid-19th century in photographic trade usage (often alongside or interchangeably with 'tintype'), coming into English from continental European usage such as French 'ferrotype' and formed from 'ferro-' (iron) + 'type' (impression/form).

Initially, it meant 'an image produced on an iron plate,' and over time it has retained that specific meaning, denoting the historical photographic process and its products.