'nonfossiliferous' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') and the adjective 'fossiliferous', where 'fossiliferous' is built from Latin 'fossilis' meaning 'dug up' and the suffix '-ferous' from Latin 'ferre' meaning 'to bear'.

'fossiliferous' derived from 'fossil' (from Latin 'fossilis') combined with the Neo-Latin/Latin-derived suffix '-ferous' ('bearing'), entering English usage in the 18th–19th century; the negative prefix 'non-' was later attached in English to form 'nonfossiliferous'.

Initially 'fossiliferous' meant 'bearing or yielding fossils'; with the addition of the prefix 'non-' it evolved to the current meaning 'not bearing or containing fossils'.