'same-leaved' originates from the English words 'same' (meaning 'identical') and 'leaf' (in adjectival form 'leaved'). The element 'same' comes from Old English 'same' meaning 'identical, the same', and 'leaf' comes from Old English 'lēaf' meaning 'leaf', with the suffix '-ed' forming an adjective.

'same-leaved' was formed in Modern English as a compound adjective combining 'same' + 'leaved' (the adjectival form of 'leaf') for descriptive use in botany. A related technical term is 'isophyllous', from Greek 'iso-' + 'phyllon'.

Initially it meant 'having leaves that are the same' in a literal sense; over time it has remained a specialized botanical descriptor meaning 'having leaves of uniform size or shape.'