'neurovascular' originates from Greek and Latin combining forms: the Greek 'neuro-' from 'neûron' meaning 'nerve' and the Latin-derived 'vascular' from 'vasculum' (diminutive of 'vas') meaning 'vessel'.

'neuro-' (Greek) + 'vascular' (from Latin 'vasculum') were combined in modern medical English to form 'neurovascular' in the 19th–20th century as medicine developed terms describing interactions between nerves and blood vessels.

Initially a compound indicating the components 'nerve' + 'vessel'; over time it has been used specifically to describe structures, conditions, or procedures involving both the nervous and vascular systems, retaining that combined sense.