'sugar-apple' originates from English, formed from the words 'sugar' (from Old French 'sucre', from Arabic 'sukkar', from Persian 'shakar', from Sanskrit 'śarkarā', where 'śarkarā' meant 'grit, sugar') and 'apple' (from Old English 'æppel', where 'æppel' meant 'fruit, apple').

'sugar-apple' developed from the older compound 'sugar apple' and was influenced by regional common names such as 'sweetsop' and 'custard-apple'; over time the compound became attached in English usage specifically to the fruit of Annona squamosa.

Initially, the element 'apple' could mean any fruit generally; over time the compound came to denote specifically the sweet, creamy-fleshed tropical fruit now called 'sugar-apple'.