'laceleaf' originates from English, specifically a compound of the words 'lace' and 'leaf', where 'lace' originally meant 'a delicate, openwork fabric or pattern (net-like)' and 'leaf' meant 'a plant leaf'.

'laceleaf' developed from earlier written forms such as 'lace-leaf' and 'lace leaf' and eventually became the closed compound 'laceleaf' in modern English usage.

Initially, the term referred specifically to a 'leaf that resembles lace', but over time it came to be used for whole plants characterized by such lace-like foliage.