The Fascinating History Behind: How did our body parts get named?

September 27, 2025 •

4 min read

According to Kenhub, anatomical terminology has its roots in ancient Greece and Rome, with origins dating back more than 2,500 years. If you’ve ever wondered how did our body parts get named?, the answer is a captivating journey through history, combining ancient observation, language, mythology, and science.

Quick Summary

The names of human body parts come from a mix of Greek and Latin terms used by early anatomists, who often named structures after everyday objects, animals, or mythological figures based on their shape or location. Later, parts were named after the scientists who discovered them, though modern terminology is moving toward descriptive, non-eponymous names to remove bias and improve clarity.

Key Points

Ancient Roots: The foundation of anatomical names lies in ancient Greek and Latin, established by early medical pioneers like Hippocrates and Galen.
Naming by Analogy: Early anatomists often named body parts based on resemblances to everyday objects, animals, or mythical creatures, such as the flute-like tibia or the seahorse-shaped hippocampus.
Eponymous Legacy: Many structures were named after their discoverers, known as eponyms, though this practice is being phased out in favor of descriptive names to address historical biases.
Standardization Efforts: The confusing variety of historical names led to the development of standardized lists like Terminologia Anatomica to create a universal language for anatomy.
Controversial History: Some eponyms, like the Bundle of His, are now scrutinized due to their discoverers' problematic histories, prompting the medical community to embrace neutral terminology.
Evolution of Language: The naming of body parts is a living language, constantly refined to be more accurate, descriptive, and inclusive for global medical communication.

From Ancient Roots: The Language of Science

The vast majority of today's medical and anatomical terms are derived from ancient Greek and Latin. During the classical era, scholars began the systematic study of anatomy, and their languages became the foundation for Western medicine. The names were not arbitrary; they were often practical and descriptive, based on what early anatomists saw and what was familiar to them. For example, the ancient Greek word for heart was kardia, which gives us terms like 'cardiovascular' today. Greek and Roman medicine, led by figures like Hippocrates and Galen, established the initial lexicon, which was later adopted and formalized in Latin by scholars during the Renaissance.

Naming by Analogy: The World Around Us

Ancient anatomists frequently named body parts based on their resemblance to objects and animals from their own time and culture. This method made the complex structures easier to remember in an era before detailed diagrams and texts were widely available.

The Hippocampus (Brain): This part of the limbic system is named after the Greek word hippokampos, or "seahorse," due to its curved shape.
The Tibia (Shin Bone): Named from the Latin word for a flute, this long bone was thought to resemble the hollow musical instrument.
The Patella (Kneecap): Its name comes from the Latin word for a "little pan" or "dish," reflecting its round, shallow shape.
The Coccyx (Tailbone): The name for the final segment of the vertebral column comes from the Greek word for a "cuckoo," because its shape was compared to the cuckoo's beak.
The Retina (Eye): Galen described this layer of the eye with a Greek word meaning a coat or net. The Latin translation, rete, meaning "net," stuck.

The Rise of Eponyms and Their Controversies

As anatomical knowledge advanced, a new naming convention emerged: honoring the individual who discovered a particular structure. These terms, known as eponyms, reflect the history of a male-dominated field, as many were named after male doctors and scientists.

Fallopian Tubes: Named after the 16th-century Italian anatomist Gabriele Falloppio, a name still in common use today.
Islets of Langerhans: Located in the pancreas, these clusters of hormone-producing cells are named after German pathologist Paul Langerhans, who discovered them in 1869.
Bundle of His: Named for Swiss cardiologist Wilhelm His Jr., this collection of muscle fibers in the heart has a controversial history due to His's later advocacy of eugenics.
Pouch of Douglas: Named for Scottish anatomist James Douglas, this area is another example of a male-named feature within the female pelvis.

These eponymous names often lack descriptive value, a problem exacerbated by their sometimes-problematic historical context. The medical community is increasingly moving away from them in favor of clear, anatomically descriptive terms. For instance, "uterine tubes" is now preferred over "fallopian tubes." This shift prioritizes functional description over historical credit.

The Move Toward Standardization

For centuries, the lack of a universal naming system caused immense confusion among medical practitioners. Different anatomists in different countries and time periods used different names for the same structures, leading to a "proverbial Babel" of terms. This problem was formally addressed in 1895 with the creation of the Basle Nomina Anatomica (BNA), a foundational step toward international standardization.

The BNA has been succeeded by the Terminologia Anatomica (TA), published in 1998 by the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology (FIPAT). The TA provides a globally recognized and standardized list of human anatomical terms, ensuring clarity and consistency in medicine and science worldwide. The move toward non-eponymous, descriptive names is a key part of this ongoing effort.

Comparative Overview of Naming Conventions


Naming Convention	Originating Period	Characteristics	Example	Modern Usage Trend
Descriptive (Greek/Latin)	Ancient Times (ca. 450 BCE)	Based on shape, location, or function; very literal.	Tibia (flute), Cardio (heart)	Widespread, encouraged, and standardized by FIPAT.
Analogy to Animals	Ancient Times (ca. 450 BCE)	Compares structures to animals or mythical creatures.	Hippocampus (seahorse), Coccyx (cuckoo)	Still in use, but often supplemented with descriptive terms.
Analogy to Objects	Ancient Times (ca. 450 BCE)	Names structures based on resemblance to household or military items.	Patella (little pan), Thyroid (shield)	Still common in medical practice and textbooks.
Eponymous	Post-Renaissance (esp. 19th c.)	Names a structure after its discoverer.	Fallopian tubes	Declining, though still used colloquially; descriptive alternatives promoted.

Discover more anatomical etymology at Visible Body

Conclusion: A Dynamic and Meaningful History

The process of naming our body parts was far from a simple, one-time event. It is a rich, dynamic history that reveals how early humans sought to understand and organize their world by comparing the unseen internal structures to the familiar external. From ancient comparisons to sea monsters and household items, to the later, and sometimes controversial, practice of naming parts after individuals, the history of anatomical nomenclature is a story of discovery, language, and evolving perspectives. The modern push for standardized, descriptive language is a testament to the ongoing effort to make this vital field of knowledge clearer, more universal, and less tied to historical bias.

Frequently Asked Questions

Greek and Latin were the standard languages of science and medicine for centuries, from the Roman era through the Renaissance. Early anatomists and scholars wrote their medical texts in these languages, establishing a tradition that continues to influence terminology today.

Yes, though they are historically rare. A notable example is the Nitabuch layer in the placenta, named after 19th-century Russian pathologist Raissa Nitabuch. However, many female-specific body parts were originally named by men, reflecting the historical lack of female representation in anatomy.

An eponym is an anatomical term or body part named after a person, such as the Fallopian tubes or the Islets of Langerhans. The use of eponyms is declining in favor of more descriptive names to ensure clarity and avoid historical bias.

Yes, anatomical names can and do change. Organizations like the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology (FIPAT) periodically update and standardize nomenclature to improve clarity and remove potentially problematic or outdated terms.

The hippocampus, a part of the brain, was named after the Greek word for "seahorse." Early anatomists noted its distinct, curved shape, which resembled the mythical sea monster with the head of a horse and the tail of a fish.

The tibia, or shin bone, is named from the Latin word for a musical flute. Early anatomists gave it this name due to its resemblance to the long, hollow wind instrument.

Some names are rooted in ancient myths and legends. A prime example is the Achilles tendon, named after the Greek hero Achilles, who was famously vulnerable only in his heel.

Anatomists often compared the structures they observed to familiar objects. For example, the patella was named after the Latin for 'little pan' due to its shape, and the retina is from the Latin for 'net'.