The genus name "Procompsognathus", means "before elegant jaw", and is derived from the name of another dinosaur, "Compsognathus". A later (Jurassic) small predatory dinosaur, "Compsognathus" takes its name from the Greek word "kompsos" (κομψός) which can be rendered as "elegant", "refined" or "dainty" and the Greek word "gnathos" (γνάθος) which means "jaw". The prefix "Pro" (προ) implies "before" or "ancestor of", although this direct lineage was not supported by subsequent research. The specific name "triassicus" refers to the geologic time period to which this dinosaur belongs, the Triassic.