The word 'tilapia' originates from modern Latin, where it was chosen as the genus name for these fish. It was derived from 'Tilapia', the Tswana (a Bantu language of Southern Africa) name for a local fish species. The name was adopted into scientific classification in the 19th century by the naturalist Andrew Smith. From its specialized taxonomic use, it entered general English as the common name for this widely cultivated food fish, representing a direct loanword that moved from a local African language into scientific and then global vernacular usage.

The word is a modern Latin genus name, adopted as a common noun. It is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in English.