'pro-patriarch' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the prefix 'pro-' (meaning 'in favor of') and the noun 'patriarch' (from Greek 'patriarchēs').

'patriarch' comes from Greek 'patriarchēs' (literally 'father-ruler'), passed into Late Latin and Old French, then into Middle English as 'patriark'/'patriarch', and in Modern English combines with productive prefixes such as 'pro-' to form compounds like 'pro-patriarch'.

Initially, the elements referred separately to being 'for' (pro-) and to a 'father-ruler' (patriarch); over time the compound has come to mean specifically 'supporting patriarchal systems or authority'.