'phenylamine' originates from Modern New Latin/chemical nomenclature, combining 'phenyl' (from Greek via 'phenol') and 'amine' (from French 'amine', ultimately from 'ammonia').

'phenyl' was coined in 19th-century chemical terminology from Greek-derived 'phenol' and the radical suffix '-yl' (used in organic chemistry), while 'amine' was formed from 'ammonia' through French/German chemical usage; the compound name 'phenylamine' came into use to denote an amine attached to a phenyl group and corresponds to the common name 'aniline'.

Initially it designated an amine group attached to a phenyl radical (i.e., the compound now commonly called aniline); over time the term has remained associated with that same chemical concept and is used interchangeably with 'aniline' in many contexts.