'neuron' originates from ancient Greek, specifically the word 'νεῦρον' (neuron), where 'νεῦρον' meant 'sinew, tendon; (later) nerve'.

'neuron' passed into New Latin and German (as 'Neuron') in the 19th century and was popularized in English by anatomists (e.g., Wilhelm von Waldeyer) to denote the nerve cell; it subsequently became the modern English 'neuron'.

Initially it meant 'sinew' or 'tendon'; over time it came to mean 'nerve' and in modern usage refers specifically to the 'nerve cell' that transmits signals.