The Spanish word 'santurrón' (meaning 'sanctimonious' or 'excessively pious') comes from combining the Spanish word 'santo' (meaning 'saint') with the pejorative suffix '-urrón'. The base word 'santo' traces back to the Latin 'sanctus' meaning 'holy', which itself derives from the Latin verb 'sancire' meaning 'to consecrate'. The addition of the pejorative suffix '-urrón' transforms the neutral or positive meaning of 'santo' into a negative one, suggesting someone who makes an excessive or hypocritical show of religious devotion.

The most obvious related Spanish word is 'santo' (saint), which is much more commonly used. While 'santo' refers to an actually holy person or saint in a respectful way, 'santurrón' takes on a critical tone to describe someone who merely pretends to be overly pious. Other related words include 'santidad' (holiness), 'santificar' (to sanctify), and 'santiguarse' (to cross oneself).

English speakers can connect 'santurrón' to several familiar words that share the Latin root 'sanctus', such as 'saint', 'sanctify', 'sanctuary', and 'sanction' (in its original meaning of making something sacred or legitimate). The word 'sanctimonious', which is the closest English equivalent to 'santurrón', also comes from this same Latin root. Like 'santurrón', 'sanctimonious' has developed a negative connotation to describe hypocritical or excessive shows of piety.