'geogenic' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'geo-' from 'gē' meaning 'earth' and the suffix '-genic' from Greek 'genēs' (related to 'gignesthai') meaning 'born' or 'produced'.

'geogenic' was formed in scientific/Modern English by combining the Greek-derived prefix and suffix (analogous to New Latin formations such as 'geogenicus') and entered technical usage to describe phenomena produced by the Earth.

Initially it carried the literal sense 'produced by the Earth,' and over time it has retained that core meaning while becoming specialized for geological and environmental contexts.