Etymology of Taxon Names

The information below provides a list containing descriptions of the origins of ICTV taxon names starting at the rank of realm and going down to the rank of family. This information is derived from the proposals that were submitted when each taxon was created. Links to these proposals, links to ICTV report chapters, and links to publications (through PMIDs) are provided when available.

We thank Stuart Siddell for compiling this list of name origins. Etymological information for taxa below the rank of family, can be found in the relevant ICTV Online (10th) Report chapters. If you have any comments or corrections, please contact us by sending an email to info@ictv.global.

Please select the virus realm containing your taxa of interest:

Realm

Realm: Riboviria

Taxon: Tobaniviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2017.015S.A.v1.Nidovirales; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from Torovirus, Bafinivirus and Nidovirales, taxa in this family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Picornavirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2005.200-2G.04.Picornavirales; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from Picornaviridae (itself from the Spanish pico, meaning "small"or "sharp") and RNA for ribonucleic acid, referring to the size of the  RNA genome of viruses in the taxon; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Caliciviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1981; ; ICTV Report: Caliciviridae; Reference: PMID: 10804145

from the Latin calix, meaning “cup” or “goblet”, referring to cup-shaped depressions on the virion surface of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Dicistroviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 2002a; ; ICTV Report: Dicistroviridae; Reference: PMID: 6659369

from the Greek di-, meaning "two" and cistron, a genetic unit, referring to the characteristic dicistronic arrangement of the genome of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Iflaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2006.029-31I.04.Iflaviridae; ; ICTV Report: Iflaviridae; Reference:

from the former species name, Infectious flacherie virus (now Iflavirus flacherie), a taxon in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Marnaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2003.F094-098.Marnaviridae; ; ICTV Report: Marnaviridae; Reference:

from the Latin mare, meaning "sea", referring to the environment from which virus was isolated, and RNA, referring to ribonucleic acid, the genetic material of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Noraviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2022.001S.Picornavirales_1nf; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Armenian nora, meaning "new", referring to  Nora virus, a member of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Picornaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: ICTV 1st Report; ; ICTV Report: Picornaviridae; Reference: PMID: 21413259

from poliovirus, insensitivity to ether, coxsackievirus, orphan virus, rhinovirus, and ribonucleic acid; or from the Spanish pico, meaning "a small balance" i.e. unit of measurement and RNA, for ribonucleic acid, referring to the small RNA genome of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Polycipiviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2017.011S.A.v2.Polycipiviridae; ; ICTV Report: Polycipiviridae; Reference:

from polycistronic picorna-like, referring to the genome organisation of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Secoviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2007.057-9P.Secoviridae; ; ICTV Report: Secoviridae; Reference:

from the amalgamation of the now defunct families Sequiviridae and Comoviridae (respectively from the Latin sequi, meaning to "accompany", referring to the dependent aphid transmission of parsnip yellow fleck virus, and from cowpea mosaic virus), both members of the virus family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Solinviviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2016.017a-kS.A.v2.Solinviviridae; ; ICTV Report: Solinviviridae; Reference:

from Solenopsis invicta virus 3, a member of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa 

Taxon: Sobelivirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from sobemovirus-like; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Alvernaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2009.016a-iP.A.v7.Alvernaviridae; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the dinoflagellate host ( Heterocapsa circularisquama, a member of the Alveolata) and RNA for ribonucleic acid, referring to the ssRNA genome of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Barnaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1993; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference: PMID: 8030251

from bacilliform-shaped virus and RNA for ribonucleic acid, referring to the morphology of virions and the  genome of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Solemoviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2017.003P.A.v2.Solemoviridae; ; ICTV Report: Solemoviridae; Reference:

from Sobemovirus (from Southern bean mosaic virus) and Polemovirus (from potato leafroll virus), two genera in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Stelpaviricetes; Rank: class; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the names of the founding orders (Stellavirales, Patatavirales); the suffix -viricetes for class taxa

Taxon: Patatavirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Italian patata meaning "potato", referencing potato virus Y, a member of the taxon; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Potyviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1993; ; ICTV Report: Potyviridae; Reference: PMID: 2472047

from potato virus Y, a member of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Stellavirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Latin stella, meaning "star", referrring to astroviruses, which are included in the taxon; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Astroviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: ICTV 6th Report; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference: PMID: 15802951

from the Greek astron, meaning "star", referring to the star-like appearance of spikes projecting from the surface of virions of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Yadokarivirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2021.005F.R.Yadokarivirales_neworder; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Japanese yadokari (やどかり, 宿借), meaning “room borrower", referring to the the lifestyle (hetero-encapsidation) of yadokariviruses; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Yadokariviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2021.005F.R.Yadokarivirales_neworder; ; ICTV Report: Yadokariviridae; Reference:

from the Japanese yadokari (やどかり, 宿借), meaning “room borrower", referring to the lifestyle (hetero-encapsidation) of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Hadakaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2021.004F.R.Hadakaviridae_newfam; ; ICTV Report: Hadakaviridae; Reference:

from the Japanese hadaka (裸、はだか), meaning “naked”, referring to the capsidless nature of viruses in this family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Birnaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1984; ; ICTV Report: Birnaviridae; Reference: PMID: 6743022

from the Latin  bi meaning “two”,  and RNA for ribonucleic acid, referring to the bisegmented nature of the genome, and the presence of dsRNA, in viruses of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Permutotetraviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2010.001a-qI.A.v4.Tetraviridae; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Latin permutare, meaninmg "to change thoroughly" and  the Ancient Greek τετρα (tetra), the Greek cardinal 4, referring to the type of RdRP (replicase) whose active site is permuted and the T=4 capsid architecture of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Pararnavirae; Rank: kingdom; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Greek παρά (pará), meaning "besides" or "next to", and RNA for ribonucleic acid, referring to the second kingdom in the realm Riboviria  ; the suffix -virae for kingdom taxa

Taxon: Artverviricota; Rank: phylum; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from reverse transcriptase when read backwards, referring to the mode of genome replication of viruses in the taxon; the suffix -viricota for phylum taxa

Taxon: Revtraviricetes; Rank: class; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from reverse transcriptase, referring to the mode of genome replication of viruses in the taxon; the suffix -viricetes for class taxa

Taxon: Blubervirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2019.006G.A.v1.Riboviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

to honour Barry Blumberg for his role in hepatitis B research; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Hepadnaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1990; ; ICTV Report: Hepadnaviridae; Reference: PMID: 4113490

from the Greek hepar, meaning “liver” and DNA for deoxyribonucleic acid, referring to the infection of liver tissues and the deoxyribonucleic acid genome of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Ortervirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2017.013D.A.v1.Ortervirales; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from orter, an inversion of retro, which stands for reverse transcription, referring to the mode of genome replication of viruses in the taxon; the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Belpaoviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2017.001D.A.v1.Belpaoviridae; ; ICTV Report: Belpaoviridae; Reference:

from Drosophila melanogaster Bel virus and the Bombyx mori Pao virus, two members of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Caulimoviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1997; ; ICTV Report: Caulimoviridae; Reference: PMID: 14433226

from cauliflower mosaic virus, a member of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Metaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1998; ; ICTV Report: Metaviridae; Reference: PMID: 7760826

from the late Latin metathesis, meaning “transposition”, referring to the family of retrotransposons; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Pseudoviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1998; ; ICTV Report: Pseudoviridae; Reference: PMID: 12411593

from the Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudes), meaning "false", referring to an evolutionary relationship of family members to viruses with extracellular virions, although they themselves have no extracellular phase; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Retroviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1975; ; ICTV Report: Retroviridae; Reference: PMID: 21433350

from the Latin retro, meaning “backwards”, referring to the activity of reverse transcriptase which transfers genetic information from RNA “back” to DNA during replication of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Polymycoviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2019.002F.A.v1.Polymycoviridae_1newfam; ; ICTV Report: Polymycoviridae; Reference:

from the Ancient Greek πολύς (polús), meaning “many" and mukēs (myco), meaning fungus, referring to the hosts of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Sarthroviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2015.002a-gS.A.v3.Sarthroviridae; ; ICTV Report: Sarthroviridae; Reference:

from small virus of arthropods, referring to the host (giant freshwater prawns) of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Realm: Ribozyviria

Taxon: Ribozyviria; Rank: realm; Proposal: 2020.012D.R.Ribozyviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from ribozyme, a unique and defining component of viruses of the realm; the suffix -viria for realm taxa

Taxon: Kolmioviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2020.012D.R.Ribozyviria; ; ICTV Report: Kolmioviridae; Reference:

from the Finnish kolmio, meaning "triangle", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Greek letter Δ δέλτα (délta), referring to the genus Deltavirus, a taxon in the family that was named after delta-antigen; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Realm: Varidnaviria

Taxon: Varidnaviria; Rank: realm; Proposal: 2019.003G.A.v1.Varidnaviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from various DNA viruses; the suffix -viria for realm taxa

Taxon: Bamfordvirae; Rank: kingdom; Proposal: 2019.003G.A.v1.Varidnaviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

to honour Dennis Bamford who first promoted the evolutionary unity of all DJR-MCP (double jelly-roll major capsid protein) viruses; the suffix -virae for kingdom taxa

Taxon: Nucleocytoviricota; Rank: phylum; Proposal: 2019.003G.A.v1.Varidnaviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs), an unofficial name for this group of viruses; the suffix -viricota for phylum taxa

Taxon: Megaviricetes; Rank: class; Proposal: 2019.003G.A.v1.Varidnaviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Greek μέγας (mégas), meaning "large", referring to the extremely large genome size of viruses in this taxon; the suffix -viricetes for class taxa

Taxon: Algavirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2019.003G.A.v1.Varidnaviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from alga, referring to the hosts of many viruses in this taxon: the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Phycodnaviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: Ratification 1990; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference: PMID: 12181671

from the Ancient Greek φῦκος (phûkos), meaning “seaweed” and DNA for deoxyribonucleic acid, referring to the host (marine or freshwater eukaryotic algae) and the dsDNA genome of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Imitervirales; Rank: order; Proposal: 2019.003G.A.v1.Varidnaviria; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the French imiter, meaning "to mimic", referring to mimiviruses (microbe-imitating); the suffix -virales for order taxa

Taxon: Allomimiviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2022.004F.Imitervirales_reorg; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), meaning "other" or "another" and Mimiviridae, referring to the evolutionary relationship between the two families; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Mesomimiviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2022.004F.Imitervirales_reorg; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from the Ancient Greek μέσος (mésos), meaning "middle" and Mimiviridae, referring to the evolutionary relationship of viruses in the two families; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

Taxon: Mimiviridae; Rank: family; Proposal: 2005.004F.04.Mimiviridae; ; ICTV Report: ; Reference:

from microbe mimicking because the large particle size of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa