'p-methoxyaniline' is a modern systematic chemical name composed of several parts: the prefix 'p-' (para-) from Greek 'para-' meaning 'beside' or 'at the side of'; 'methoxy' (from 'methyl' + 'oxy') indicating a –OCH3 substituent; and 'aniline', a historical name for the aromatic amine derived from the Portuguese word 'anil' (indigo) and later adapted into chemical nomenclature.

'aniline' originates from Portuguese 'anil' (from Arabic 'an-nīl', meaning indigo), later becoming the French/modern term 'aniline' for the aromatic amine. 'para-' comes from Greek 'para-' meaning 'beside'. The systematic name 'p-methoxyaniline' arose as organic nomenclature developed to indicate substituent identity and position (para- indicating substitution at the 4-position of the benzene ring).

Originally, the root 'anil' referred to a substance obtained from indigo; over time 'aniline' came to mean the specific aromatic amine compound (and, more broadly, related aromatic amines). The modern systematic name 'p-methoxyaniline' now explicitly conveys the chemical structure: an aniline with a methoxy group at the para position.