Common name

name generally used for a taxon, group of taxa or organism(s)

A common name of a taxon or organism is a name that is generally given by people. A common name is not the organism's scientific name. Common names are used by people to describe something. Some common names are not always used by some people. A common name are also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, trivial name, trivial epithet, country name, popular name, or farmer's name.

Sometimes common names are created by authorities. They do this so the general public would not have to remember or pronounce the Latin name of an animal.

  • Stearn, William T. 1959. "The Background of Linnaeus's Contributions to the Nomenclature and Methods of Systematic Biology". Systematic Zoology 8: 4–22.

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