'para-aminophenol' originates from scientific terminology, combining the prefix 'para-' (from Greek, meaning 'beside' or 'alongside'), 'amino' (from Latin 'ammonium', relating to ammonia), and 'phenol' (from Greek 'phaino', meaning 'to show').

'para-aminophenol' was formed in the late 19th century as chemical nomenclature developed, combining the terms to describe the structure of the compound.

Initially, it referred specifically to the chemical structure with an amino group in the para position on a phenol ring, and this meaning has remained consistent.