'non-PABA' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') and the acronym 'PABA' for 'para-aminobenzoic acid'.

'PABA' is an initialism formed in 20th-century chemistry from the compound name 'para-aminobenzoic acid' (where 'para-' comes from Greek 'para' meaning 'beside' and 'aminobenzoic' derives from 'amine' + 'benzoic acid'). The acronym 'PABA' entered medical and commercial usage, and the prefix 'non-' was attached to form 'non-PABA' to indicate absence.

Initially a straightforward descriptive compound meaning 'not containing PABA'; it has remained a specialized labeling term with essentially the same sense.