'p-anisaldehyde' originates from chemical-naming elements: the prefix 'p-' from Greek 'para' meaning 'beside' (indicating the para position on a benzene ring), 'anis-' from Latin 'anisum' (from Greek 'ánison') meaning 'anise', and 'aldehyde' from the 19th-century term derived from the Latinized phrase 'alcohol dehydrogenatus' meaning 'alcohol lacking hydrogen'.

'para-anisaldehyde' was used in full in older chemical literature; over time the conventional abbreviation 'p-anisaldehyde' became standard in nomenclature. The element 'anis-' traces back through Latin 'anisum' and Greek 'ánison' referring to the anise plant and its scent, while 'aldehyde' arose in modern chemistry as a contraction of 'alcohol dehydrogenatus' in the 1800s.

Initially it referred generically to aldehydes associated with anise oils; it evolved to denote specifically the compound 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (the para-methoxy-substituted benzaldehyde) used in flavor and fragrance contexts.