Etymology

from Serpentine Lake, Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia, where archaeal virus SH1, the first isolated virus of this taxon, was discovered; the suffix -viricetes for class taxa

from Haloarcula hispanica, the host of archaeal virus SH1, the founding member of this clade; the suffix -virales for order taxa

to honour the Japanese virologist Isao Matsushita, who isolated Thermus phage IN93, a member of the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

from the Latin simulo meaning "pretend", referring to the conclusion that genomes of the viruses in this family were first thought to be plasmids; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

from the Latin sphaera, meaning “sphere” and the Ancient Greek λίπος (lípos), meaning “fat”, referring to virion morphology and the internal protein-rich membrane vesicle of viruses in the family; the suffix -viridae for family taxa

from NALDV meaning "nuclear arthropod large DNA viruses; the suffix ‑viricetes for class taxa

from “late expression factor”, referring to genes identified in a screen for ORFs required for, or supporting, late-phase baculovirus transcription; the suffix -virales for order taxa

from the Latin baculus, meaning “stick", referring to the morphology of virions of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér), meaning, “excessive” and τροφή (trophḗ), meaning “nourishment", and sialoadenitis, meaning salivary gland inflammation referring to the salivary gland hypertrophy in  hosts infected by viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Latin nudus, meaning "naked", part of a previously used name nudibaculovirus, describing viruses with rod-shaped nucleocapsids lacking a protein matrix such as polyhedrin or granulin; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Hebrew nima, meaning “thread”, referring to the thread- or tail-like polar extension (appendage) on virions of some viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet and the Latin satellit, meaning "attendent", referring to mobile genetic elements that are dependent upon a helper virus to spread. The suffix -satelittidae is used for satelitte family taxa

from the Latin ampulla, meaning "bottle", referring to the unique bottle-shaped morphology of the virion; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Latin anello, meaning "ring", referring to the circular nature of the DNA genome of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from a member of the family, Avocado sunblotch viroid, an infectious agent consisting only of naked RNA; the suffix -viroidae is used for viroid family taxa

from the host genus name Bartonella and gene transfer agent; the suffix -viriformidae is used for viriform family taxa

from the Latin bi meaning "two"  and the Latin cauda meaning " tail", referring to the virion morhologlogy of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the host genus name Brachyspira and gene transfer agent; the suffix -viriformidae is used for viriform family taxa

from Latin clava, meaning "club" or "stick", referring to the rigid, bacilliform virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Latin fusillo, meaning "little spindle", referring to the virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Latin globulus, meaning “small ball”, referring to the virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Latin gutta, meaning "drop", referring to the droplet-shaped virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from halophilic, referring to the halophilic archaeal hosts of viruses in the family and spindle-shaped, referring to virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from Itzamna, Lord of the Heavens as well as night and day in the Mayan mythology; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa; connection unclear

from the Latin ovalis, meaning "egg shaped", referring to the virion capsid architechture of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Ancient Greek πλάσμα (plásma), meaning “something formed”,  referring to the plastic virion shape of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from the Ancient Greek πολύς (polús), meaning “many" and DNA for deoxyribonucleic acid, referring to  the multiple segments of dsDNA genomes of agents in the family;  the suffix -viriformidae is used for viriform family taxa

from the Latin portare, meaning ‘to carry’ and globus, meaning ‘a ball’, referring to the round shape of the nucleoprotein virion core of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from a member of the family, potato spindle tuber viroid, an infectious agent consisting only of naked RNA; the suffix -viroidae for viroid family taxa

from the host order name Rhodobacterales and gene transfer agent;  the suffix -viriformidae is used for viriform family taxa

from the Latin spira, meaning “coil”, referring to virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from thaumarchaeal and spindle-shaped virus, referring to the host and virion morphology of viruses in the family; the suffix ‑viridae for family taxa

from tomato leaf curl virus satellite, the first DNA satellite shown to be associated with geminiviruses and the Latin satellit, meaning "attendent", referring to mobile genetic elements that are dependent upon a helper virus to spread.  The suffix -satellitidae is used for satellite family taxa