Late 19th century; earliest use found in Riverside Natural History. From scientific Latin Myrmecophagidae, family name (C. L. Bonaparte 1838) from Myrmecophaga, genus name (Linnaeus Systema Naturae (ed. 10, 1758) I. 35; from myrmeco- + -phaga, neuter plural of -phagus: see -phagous) + -idae.