'slowworm' originates from Old English, specifically the compound 'slawwyrm' (or variants), where 'slaw' meant 'slow' and 'wyrm' meant 'serpent' or 'reptile.'

'slowworm' changed from Middle English forms such as 'slouwyrm' or 'slowwyrm' and eventually became the modern English word 'slowworm.'

Initially, it meant 'slow serpent/worm' in a general sense; over time it came to refer specifically to the legless lizard (Anguis fragilis).