First attested in English in the late 14th century, the word "coriander" derives from the Old French: coriandre, which comes from Latin: coriandrum, in turn from Ancient Greek: κορίαννον, koriannon, derived from Ancient Greek: κόρις, kóris (a bed bug), and was given on account of its foetid, bed bug-like smell. The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek ko-ri-ja-da-na[8] written in Linear B syllabic script (reconstructed as koriadnon, similar to the name of Minoss daughter Ariadne) which later evolved to koriannon or koriandron and koriander (German).

Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander, also deriving from coriandrum. It is the common term in North American English for coriander leaves, due to their extensive use in Mexican cuisine.