'glaciofluvial' originates from Neo-Latin/Latin roots, specifically 'glacies' (Latin) and 'fluvius' (Latin), where the element 'glaci-' meant 'ice' and 'fluvi-' (from 'fluvius') meant 'river'.

'glaciofluvial' was coined in modern geological/geomorphological usage by combining the prefix 'glacio-' (from Latin 'glacies' via Neo-Latin) and the adjective 'fluvial' (from Latin 'fluvius' through Old French/Middle English). The compound became established in scientific literature in the 19th–20th century to describe meltwater-related processes and deposits.

Initially the components referred separately to 'ice' and 'river', but over time the compound came to mean specifically 'pertaining to glacial meltwater processes and the deposits they form'.