アポローンという名前は、関連する古い名前ペーン(Paean)と異なり、一般にリニアB(ミケーネ時代のギリシャ語)のテキストには見あたらない。しかし、KN E 842年版の[pe-rjo-]という拉致形があり<ref>R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 118.</ref><ref>Internationale Archäologie, Apollon Delphinios – Apollon Didymeus: Zwei Gesichter eines milesischen Gottes und ihr Bezug zur Kolonisation Milets in archaischer Zeit, Alexander Herda, https://www.academia.edu/515462, page16, 2008, volume:Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Symposium, Tagung, Kongress. Band 11: Kult(ur)kontakte. Apollon in Milet/Didyma, Histria, Myus, Naukratis und auf Zypern. Akten des Table Ronde in Mainz vom 11.–12. März 2004, isbn:978-3-89646-441-5</ref><ref>DĀMOS: Database of Mycenaean at Oslo, http://www.hf.uio.no/ifikk/english/research/projects/damos/, University of Oslo. Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, chapter:KN 842 E, https://www2.hf.uio.no/damos/Index/item/chosen_item_id/775, 15 December 2014, 15 December 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20161215135205/http://www.hf.uio.no/ifikk/english/research/projects/damos/</ref>、実際には「ハイペリオン」([u]-pe-rjo-[ne])とも読めることが示唆されている<ref>Felicia Logozzo , Paolo Poccetti, Ancient Greek Linguistics: New Approaches, Insights, Perspectives, 7 November 2017, Walter de Gruyter, pages644, isbn:9783110551754, https://books.google.com/books?id=llA_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA644</ref>。
名前の語源は不明である。古典期のアッティカでは、Ἀπόλλων(a.pól.lɔːn|pron)という綴りが他のすべての綴りにほぼ勝っていたが、ドーリア式の Apellon (Ἀπέλων) はより古風で、それ以前の *Ἀπέλjων に由来している。おそらく、ドーリア式の月Apellaios (Ἀπελλαῖος)<ref name="DDD">van der Toorn =Karel, Becking Bob, van der Horst Pieter Willem, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, https://books.google.com/books?id=PHgUAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA73, 1999, Brill, isbn:978-90-04-11119-6, page73</ref>や、家族の祭りapellai (ἀπελαῖα) で若者の入門時に捧げるapellaia (ἀπέλα) と同義であろうと考えられる。と同義であろうと考えられる<ref>"The young men became grown-up kouroi, and Apollon was the megistos kouros (The Great Kouros) : Jane Ellen Harrison (2010): ''Themis: A study to the Social origins of Greek Religion'' Cambridge University Press. pp. 439–441, ISBN:1108009492</ref><ref>Leiden E. J., Visible Religion. Volume IV–V. Approaches to Iconology, 1985, Brill, pages143, isbn:9004077723, https://books.google.com/books?id=UesUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA143</ref>。
The [[etymology]] of the name is uncertain. The spelling {{lang|grc|Ἀπόλλων}} ({{IPA-el|a.pól.lɔːn|pron}} in [[Attic Greek|Classical Attic]]) had almost superseded all other forms by the beginning of the [[common era]], but the [[Dorians|Doric]] form, {{transliteration|grc|Apellon}} ({{lang|grc|Ἀπέλλων}}), is more archaic, as it is derived from an earlier {{lang|grc|*Ἀπέλjων}}. It probably is a cognate to the Doric month ''Apellaios'' ({{lang|grc|Ἀπελλαῖος}}), and the offerings {{transliteration|grc|[[apellaia]]}} ({{lang|grc|ἀπελλαῖα}}) at the initiation of the young men during the family-festival {{transliteration|grc|apellai}} ({{lang|grc|ἀπέλλαι}}).<ref>"The young men became grown-up {{transliteration|grc|[[kouros|kouroi]]}}, and Apollon was the {{transliteration|grc|megistos kouros}} (The Great Kouros) : Jane Ellen Harrison (2010): ''Themis: A study to the Social origins of Greek Religion'' Cambridge University Press. pp. 439–441, {{ISBN|1108009492}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Leiden |first1=E. J. |title=Visible Religion. Volume IV–V. Approaches to Iconology |date=1985 |publisher=Brill |pages=143 |isbn=9004077723 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UesUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA143}}</ref> According to some scholars, the words are derived from the Doric word {{transliteration|grc|apella}} ({{lang|grc|ἀπέλλα}}), which originally meant "wall," "fence for animals" and later "assembly within the limits of the square."<ref name=Nilsson556>The word usually appears in plural: [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]]: {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλαι}} ({{transliteration|grc|apellai}}), {{lang|grc|σηκοί}} ("folds"), {{lang|grc|ἐκκλησίαι}} ("assemblies"), {{lang|grc|ἀρχαιρεσίαι}} ("elections"): Nilsson, Vol. I, p. 556</ref><ref>Doric Greek verb: {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλάζειν}} ("to assemble"), and the festival {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλαι}} {{transliteration|grc|apellai}}), which surely belonged to Apollo. Nilsson, Vol I, p. 556.</ref> [[Apella]] ({{lang|grc|Ἀπέλλα}}) is the name of the popular assembly in Sparta,<ref name=Nilsson556/> corresponding to the {{transliteration|grc|[[Ecclesia (ancient Athens)|ecclesia]]}} ({{lang|grc|ἐκκλησία}}). [[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]] rejected the connection of the theonym with the noun {{transliteration|grc|apellai}} and suggested a [[Pre-Greek]] proto-form *''Apal<sup>y</sup>un''.<ref>Beekes, 2009, pp. 115, 118–119.</ref>
Several instances of [[popular etymology]] are attested from ancient authors. Thus, the Greeks most often associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb {{lang|grc|ἀπόλλυμι}} ({{transliteration|grc|apollymi}}), "to destroy".<ref>{{cite web|first=Mike |last=Campbell |url=http://www.behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=apollo |title=Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Apollo |publisher=Behind the Name |access-date=30 July 2013}}</ref> [[Plato]] in ''[[Cratylus]]'' connects the name with {{lang|grc|ἀπόλυσις}} ({{transliteration|grc| apolysis}}), "redemption", with {{lang|grc|ἀπόλουσις}} (''apolousis''), "purification", and with {{lang|grc|ἁπλοῦν}} ({{transliteration|grc|[h]aploun}}), "simple",<ref>The {{lang|grc|ἁπλοῦν}} suggestion is repeated by [[Plutarch]] in ''[[Moralia]]'' in the sense of "[[1 (number)|unity]]".</ref> in particular in reference to the Thessalian form of the name, {{lang|grc|Ἄπλουν}}, and finally with {{lang|grc|Ἀειβάλλων}} ({{transliteration|grc|aeiballon}}), "ever-shooting". [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]] connects the name Apollo with the Doric {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλα}} ({{transliteration|grc|apella}}), which means "assembly", so that Apollo would be the god of political life, and he also gives the explanation {{lang|grc|σηκός}} ({{transliteration|grc|sekos}}), "fold", in which case Apollo would be the god of flocks and herds.{{sfn|Freese|1911|p=184}} In the [[ancient Macedonian language]] {{lang|grc|πέλλα}} ({{transliteration|grc|pella}}) means "stone,"<ref>[[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 1168.</ref> and some [[toponyms]] may be derived from this word: {{lang|grc|Πέλλα}} ([[Pella]],<ref>{{LSJ|pe/lla|πέλλα|ref}}.</ref> the capital of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|ancient Macedonia]]) and {{lang|grc|Πελλήνη}} (''Pellēnē''/''[[Pellene]]'').<ref>Nilsson Vol I, p. 558</ref>