I began doing research on the web, which was confused from the start because the web doesn't know the difference between roofing material and disease states. I'll warn you in advance that searches such as "why is shingles called shingles?" are a step below useless. After some various key word deletions/additions, I finally hit upon this web page with a single line devoted to my hunt: Shingles - A strange name for a strange disease, a 2008 posting on the website "Health" by by Diana Post, M.D., Harvard Medical School.
The name "shingles" comes from the Latin word "cingulum," which means belt or girdle.
I'll admit that the reason only leads me to additional questions. Shingles can be easily diagnosed in most instances because it tends to only affect one side of the body. Why would a word that means that something is encircled come to be associated with something that usually only half-encircles? I'm thinking that somebody really needs to rethink the name of this freaking disease.
I suppose we could attempt to stay with tradition and call this "semi-shingles" or "hemi-cingulum" or some-such permutation of the original derivation. I propose a superior alternative that would put the confusing name to rest and provide a more descriptive and identifiable name for the condition. I may forward my proposal of "Death By Blisters" to the AMA, but I'm not too sure of what paper-work I'll need yet.