If you are teaching your students about the classification of living things or life science, you’ve probably come across scientific names. These are two-part Latin-based names, such as Homo sapiens, Canis lupus, or Ursus americanus. These names can be confusing at first to students – why can we just speak plainly and say “human”, “gray wolf”, or “black bear”? But there are some very good reasons for using scientific names, and with a little background information and practice, your students can recognise, understand, and use scientific names with ease too.
For Teachers: If you’re an educator planning to teach scientific names and the classification of living things, great learning resources are key to deepening understanding! Binomial nomenclature and scientific names are among the topics covered in my comprehensive Taxonomy & Classification Unit. It’s packed with activities, visuals, handouts, and worksheets, all designed to help you teach your students about the classification of living organisms! You can purchase the Taxonomy & Classification Unit in my shop, and every purchase helps support this blog! ❤️
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The Problem With Common Names
A common name is the familiar name used in everyday conversation to refer to an organism, such as “monarch butterfly,” “bald eagle,” or “dandelion.” However, common names can sometimes be confusing.
- First, some species have more than one common name. For example, panther, mountain lion, and cougar can all refer to the same species, depending on the region.
- Second, the same common name can refer to two or more different species. For example, a European robin is a different species from an American robin.
- Third, common names can sometimes be misleading. For example, a ladybug is actually a type of beetle, not a true bug. True bugs belong to the insect order Hemiptera, while beetles belong to the order Coleoptera.
The Solution: Binomial Nomenclature
As you can see, using common names can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. This can be a problem for scientists, who need to be clear about exactly which species they are identifying, researching, or discussing.
To solve this problem, scientists use a standardized system for naming species called binomial nomenclature, which assigns each organism its own unique scientific name. The system was developed and popularized by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.
Binomial nomenclature is a two-part naming system. The first part of a scientific name is the organism’s genus, and the second part is its specific epithet (generally the species’ name).
Scientific names are traditionally written using Latin or Latinized words. Latin was widely used by scholars in Europe when this naming system was developed and provided a shared language for scientific communication across different countries.
Using Scientific Names
Scientific names are written in italics when typed or underlined when written by hand. The first letter of the genus is capitalized, while the specific epithet is lowercase.
For example, the scientific name of the gray wolf is Canis lupus. When the full name has already been given, it can be shortened to the first letter of the genus followed by the specific epithet: C. lupus.
Scientific names often have Latin roots that describe something about the organism, such as its appearance, behavior, location, or other characteristics. For example, the scientific name of the polar bear is Ursus maritimus. Ursus means “bear,” while maritimus means “of the sea.” Similarly, the American black bear is Ursus americanus, in which Ursus again means “bear,” while americanus refers to the Americas.
Review…
After reading this post, try to answer these questions:
- Why might using an organism’s common name cause a misunderstanding? Give two reasons.
- What is binomial nomenclature, and who developed it?
- What are the two parts of a scientific name?
Study scientific names and classification with Wild Earth Lab!
There’s no need to scramble to put together the perfect lesson on binomial nomenclature and taxonomy – I’ve already created it for you! The text from this post comes from my Taxonomy Unit, which also includes all the handouts, activities, and worksheets you need for studying scientific names, biological classification, and more.
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References and Further Reading
- Hilliard, V. K, Whitenack, L. B., & Ryerson, B. (2025). Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function. PALNI Open Press. https://doi.org/10.59319/YHFP2525
- Clark, M.A., Douglas, M., Choi J.,(2018). Biology 2e. Open Stax. Available: https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e
- Paleontological Research Institution (2025). Digital Atlas of Ancient Life. Available: https://www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/
- U.C. Berkley (n.d.). Understanding Evolution. Available: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/