Symbolist poet Henri Cazalis christened the artists with the name “Nabis”—a term derived from the Hebrew and Arabic word for “ prophets “—as a nod to the devout, nearly spiritual nature of their artistic brotherhood.

The Nabis took their name from a Hebrew term which comes from the word nebiim or "prophets" [a] The term was coined in 1888 by the linguist Auguste Cazalis, who drew a parallel between the way these painters aimed to revitalize painting (as 'prophets of modern art') and the way the ancient prophets had rejuvenated Israel.