'sulphonal' originates from Modern chemical coinage, specifically from the element name 'sulph-' (from Latin 'sulfur') combined with the chemical-forming suffix '-onal', where 'sulph-' meant 'containing sulfur' and '-onal' indicated a named organic derivative.

'sulphonal' appeared in 19th-century chemical and medical literature as 'sulfonal'/'sulphonal' (alternate spellings). The form reflects the older British spelling 'sulph-' (rather than 'sulfur') and the nomenclature practices of organic chemistry of that period.

Initially, the term specifically denoted the particular sulfur-containing hypnotic compound used clinically; over time it became an obsolete drug name and today is mainly a historical/medical term rather than a commonly used pharmaceutical name.