'non-Anglo' is formed from the English prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') combined with 'Anglo' (from 'Angle'/'Angli', referring to the Angles/English).

'Anglo' traces back to the name of the Germanic tribe the 'Angles' (Latin 'Angli'), which entered Old English and later Medieval English as references to the people and language of England; the modern compound 'non-Anglo' developed by attaching the negative prefix 'non-' to this established element.

Originally 'Anglo' referred specifically to the Angles or to English people; over time it broadened to mean 'English' or 'of English/Anglo cultural origin.' 'Non-Anglo' therefore came to mean 'not of Anglo/English origin' and is used in social, demographic, and cultural descriptions.