'speckled-leaved' is a compound formed from 'speckled' and 'leaved'. 'speckled' comes from the verb/noun 'speckle' (from Middle English and earlier senses of 'speck' meaning 'spot'), and 'leaved' is derived from 'leaf' (Old English 'lēaf') meaning 'leaf'.

'speckled' developed from words for 'speck'/'spot' in Middle English and earlier, while 'leaved' is the adjectival form from 'leaf'; the compound form (X-leaved) has been used in English botanical and descriptive phrases (e.g. 'broad-leaved', 'narrow-leaved') and so gave rise to compounds like 'speckled-leaved'.

Originally the components referred separately to 'small spots' ('speck') and to 'leaf' ('leaf'); together the compound came to mean specifically 'having leaves with small spots' rather than referring to spots on other parts.