'normovolaemia' originates from Neo-Latin and combining forms: 'normo-' (from Latin 'norma', meaning 'rule' or 'standard') combined with 'vol(a)emia' from Modern Latin/Neo-Latin components where Latin 'volumen' meant 'volume' and Greek 'haima' meant 'blood'.

'normovolaemia' was formed in medical Neo-Latin/English in the 19th–20th century by combining 'normo-' + 'vol(a)emia' (cf. Modern Latin 'volemia'/'aemia') and entered English medical usage as 'normovolemia'/'normovolaemia'.

Initially it was coined to denote the concept of 'normal blood volume'; over time the term has retained that specific physiological meaning in clinical medicine.