'meta-anisaldehyde' originates from chemical New Latin/terminology: specifically the element 'anis' from Latin 'anisum' (from Greek 'anison') meaning 'anise', combined with 'aldehyde' (from German 'Aldehyd') for the oxidized alcohol-derived functional group; the prefix 'meta-' (from Greek 'meta-') is used in positional nomenclature.

'anis' came into English via Latin 'anisum' (from Greek 'anison'), entered chemical usage as a root referring to anise-derived compounds; the term 'aldehyde' was coined in 19th-century German chemical literature ('Aldehyd') and adopted into international nomenclature; the positional prefix 'meta-' from Greek was applied to give the modern compound name 'meta-anisaldehyde' (i.e. the meta isomer of anisaldehyde).

Initially, names combining 'anis' and 'aldehyde' broadly described anise-like aldehydic substances; over time the name 'meta-anisaldehyde' became the specific designation for the 3-methoxybenzaldehyde isomer.