'saxophonist' originates from the word 'saxophone,' which was named after its inventor, Adolphe Sax, combined with the Greek word 'phōnē,' meaning 'voice' or 'sound.'

'saxophone' was coined in the 19th century and 'saxophonist' naturally followed as a term for someone who plays the instrument.

Initially, it simply referred to someone who played the saxophone, and this meaning has remained consistent.