'palaeobiology' originates from Greek elements via New Latin/modern scientific coinage, specifically 'palaios', 'bios' and 'logos', where 'palaios' meant 'ancient', 'bios' meant 'life', and 'logos' meant 'study'.

'palaeobiology' was formed by combining the prefix 'palaeo-' (from Greek-derived New Latin 'palaeo-') with 'biology'; the modern variant spelling 'paleobiology' (American English) later arose by simplifying the 'ae' to 'e'.

Initially, the term referred narrowly to the biological study of ancient organisms (largely from their morphology in fossils), but over time it broadened to an interdisciplinary field encompassing evolution, ecology, development, and (where possible) molecular and functional aspects of extinct life.