'jointvetch' originates from the combination of 'joint' and 'vetch', where 'joint' refers to the plant's segmented stem and 'vetch' is a common name for leguminous plants.

'jointvetch' was derived from the Old English word 'fecche' for vetch, combined with 'joint' to describe its physical characteristics.

Initially, it referred to any segmented leguminous plant, but over time it became specific to the genus Aeschynomene.