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Its name is a portmanteau of girasol and platina (meaning "little silver" in spanish, from which the term platinum is derived). A girasol is a type of opal. The gen 4 remake was tentatively named "Opal," the other type of precious gemstone besides diamonds and pearls. The term 'girasol' is often used to refer to a type of opal that is semi-transparent and milky (like diamonds and pearls), but this is incorrect, much like the tentative game title. Real girasol opals appear reflective and follow a light source, but the glow is actually the result of fluid inclusions, meaning liquid and gas trapped inside. This refers to both how the distortion world reflects the real world in a contained state, and how Giratina is trapped within it in a non-solid form.
Platina obviously refers to the game's actual title, as well as how platinum is used as a catalyst in reduction-oxidation (or redox) of harsh chemicals, referring to Giratina's change in form. Platinum is also a highly precious substance, like diamonds and pearls, but is a metal rather than a gemstone (Giratina is 'different' from the other two, i.e. antimatter). Giratina's name is essentially a combination of opal and platinum (and its concept draws on these elements), but the allusions are obscure enough that the name just sounds like a name and retains a fitting mystique.
