The term "X Games" is a contemporary brand name coined by the sports network ESPN in 1995. The "X" directly and intentionally references the word "extreme," characterizing the high-risk, non-traditional sports featured in the competition. The component "Games" follows a long tradition of using the word for organized athletic contests, from the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Commonwealth Games. Thus, the name logically constructs the concept of a premier, organized festival dedicated to the showcase of extreme sports.

This is a modern proprietary compound name. 'X' is the 24th letter of the Latin alphabet, used here as a symbol for 'extreme' or the unknown. 'Games' is derived from Old English 'gamen' (sport, fun, amusement), with the functional role of denoting a contest or event.