'neurilemma-bearing' originates from Neo-Latin/Greek for 'neurilemma' and Old English for the element '-bearing'; specifically, the Greek elements 'neuron' and 'lemma' and the Old English root 'beran', where 'neuron' meant 'nerve', 'lemma' meant 'husk' or 'sheath', and 'beran' meant 'to carry'.

'neurilemma' was coined in Neo-Latin/medical terminology from Greek 'neuron' + 'lemma' (19th century medical usage), and '-bearing' comes from Old English 'beran' via Middle English; these combined in modern English to form the compound adjective 'neurilemma-bearing'.

Initially the parts referred to 'nerve' ('neuron') and 'sheath' ('lemma'); over time the compound has come to mean 'having or bearing a neurilemma' in anatomical usage.