Με βάση αυτά που έγραψε ο δημιουργός του όρου, ο Trouvelot, στην αλληλογραφία του, σελ. 229:
I particularly gave the name of veiled spots to these objects, because I wanted to indicate that they partake of the nature of the sun-spots, the granulations and the vapours of the photosphere covering them as with a veil.