Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Natrix.

The word comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "snake", with cognates in the Celtic and Germanic languages, the latter including the English adder.

It was probably influenced through folk etymology by the Latin nare and natare meaning "swim";[10][11] it appears to be a grammatically feminine word for "swimmer".

The refuge of a widely distributed Western European lineage regarding the barred grass snake commonly known as Natrix helvetica was most likely located in southern France and outside the classical refuges in the southern European peninsulas.

One genetic lineage of the common grass snake (N. natrix) is also distributed in Scandinavia, Central Europe, and the Balkan Peninsula.