'para-' originates from Greek 'para' meaning 'beside' or 'near'; 'methoxy' is coined from 'methyl' (from Greek 'methy' for wine → Latin/Greek development to mean a one-carbon group) + 'oxy' (from Greek 'oxys' originally meaning 'sharp, acid' and later used in chemistry to denote an oxygen-containing substituent); 'benzamide' comes from 'benzene' (from 'benzoin', a resin name) + the chemical suffix 'amide' (from German/Latin 'amide', related to 'ammonia' derivatives).

'para-methoxybenzamide' is a systematic descriptive name assembled from modern chemical nomenclature (IUPAC-style combining positional prefix 'para-' + substituent 'methoxy' + parent 'benzamide'). Historically the compound was also referred to by the trivial name 'p-anisamide' (from 'anisic' or 'anise' → 'anisic acid' → 'anisamide'), and systematic naming gradually replaced many trivial names.

Initially components of the name referred to separate concepts ('para-' position, 'methoxy' substituent, 'benzamide' parent amide), and their combination has long had the stable, literal meaning 'a benzamide with a methoxy group at the para position'; the usage has remained essentially descriptive and has not changed significantly.