Well, DubDub, your query sent me searching, and though I didn't see how the name roller coaster came into being, I did find that there were at one time: Traver coasters, and Flip Flap Coasters.
http://www.coasterville.com/history.htm

More history can be found at
http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/history/

There are some interesting differences between the two, but both agree that the concept began with ice slides in Russia.