Jews pray three times a day: morning, afternoon, and evening, or Shachris, Mincha, and Ma'ariv. Shachris means "morning," a suitable name for the morning prayer. "Ma'ariv" means "evening," a suitable name for the evening prayer as well. "Minchah" means "offering" - how does that match up?
The tefillos were established correspondent to the korbanos in the Beis Hamikdash. Two daily offerings were brought, corresponding to Shachris and Minchah (the fats and other limbs burned all night, hence the Ma'ariv prayer.) Along with the Korban Tamid, a "minchah" was brought. But this was with BOTH Tamid's - why did the afternoon prayer specifically merit the name?
Tosafos (פסחים קז, א ד"ה סמוך למנחה) grapples with this question. They suggest that it's a reference to the passuk that describes Eliyahu's salvation at the "time of minchah" (מלכים א' יח, לו. ברכות ו, ב). But this itself begs the question - why meritorious factor of the "afternoon" attributed more to the minchah than the tamid?
Some suggest that the name has an entirely different meaning: When Adam sinned and Hashem surprised him with a visit, the Torah records the encounter to have been "לרוח היום." Targum translates "למנח יומא - when the day descends." Hence, the translation of "מנחה" is "descent," referring to the sun's descent in the latter part of the day when the Minchah is prayed.
אבודרהם תפילת מנחה ופי' הרמב"ן שמות יב, ו
תורה תמימה בראשית כד, סג הערה לו
ועי' בספר "הכתב והקבלה" (ויקרא ב, א) שמקשר פי' מנחה - שפלות עם פי' מנחה - מתנה
שו"ת הרמ"ע מפאנו סי' כ"ב
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