The Númenóreans brought gifts to Middle-earth during their early visits there during the Second Age, and among these were healing herbs. Athelas was evidently one of these: when Aragorn found it growing wild in Eriador, he described it as having been brought to Middle-earth by the Men of the West.

The final -las element of the name athelas is unmistakably 'leaf', but the meaning of the initial athe- is far from clear. Given that the plant's name in both Quenya and the Common Tongue meant 'king's leaf' we might reasonably expect athe- to mean 'king', but if so, no such linguistic connection is recorded. Perhaps this element was adapted to Sindarin from asëa in the High-elven name of the plant, asëa aranion. If so, it makes use of the wrong component of that name: asëa means 'leaf', not 'king', and on this model athelas would actually mean 'leaf leaf'.