His name is apparently a compound of two different particles,
aza and
Thoth. Thoth is clearly related to the name of the ancient
Egyptian deity
Tahuti, whose name is mispronounced in
Greek as
Thoth. Aza is a slight verbal corruption of the
Arabic word
izzu, meaning power, might or strength. The name written in Arabic would thus be
Izzu Tahuti, or 'Power of Thoth'. Apparantly
Theodorus Phileatas translated
Tahuti into Thoth, to him the more familiar form. In Greek the full name became Azathoth, and so the deity would later become known in
Latin and
English.
Latin: Azathoth
Greek: azathoth
Arabic: 'Izzu Tahutiz
-From the notes in Call of Cthulhu, 5th Edition.