Dinosaur Names

Newly discovered dinosaurs are named by the discoverer or by the paleontologist who determines that it represents a new genus (the name has to be approved by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature).

There are many different ways to choose a dinosaur name. Sometimes the dinosaur is given a name that describes something unusual about its body, head, or feet. Some are named after the location where they are found, others are named for their behavior or size, and some are named to honor a person. Greek roots are not usually combined with Latin roots.

Name (Language of Origin) Meaning in English acantho (from the Greek akanthos, meaning bear's foot) spiny acro (Greek) high aeto (Greek) eagle allo (from the Greek word allos) other alti (from the Latin word altus) high ambi (Latin) both or two amphi (Greek) both or two an (Greek) not or without anato (Latin) duck anchi (from the Greek word agkhi) near ankylo (from the Greek word ankylos) hook, joint, fused, stiff or bent anser (Latin) goose antho (from the Greek word anthos) flower anuro (Greek) no tail apato (Greek) deceptive archaeo (from the Greek word archaios) ancient avi or avis (Latin) bird bactro (from the Greek word baktron) baton or club baga (from the Mongolian word baga) little baro or bary (from the Greek word barys) heavy bellu (from the Latin word bellus) beautiful brachio (from the Greek word brachion and the Latin word brachium) arm brachy (Greek) short bronto (from the Greek word bronte) thunder calamo (from the Greek word kalamos) reed camara (from the Greek word kamara) chamber campto (from the Greek word kamptos) flexible campylo (from the Greek word kampylos) bent carchar (from the Greek word karkhar) jagged cardio (from the Greek word kardia) heart carno (Greek ) flesh caud or caudia (Latin) tail centro (Latin) left cephalo (from the Greek word kephale) head cera, ceras (from the Greek word keras) horn cerno (from the Latin word secerno) divide or sever cero (from the Greek word keras) horn chasmo (from the Greek word khasma) chasm or yawning fissure chiro or cheirus (from the Greek word kheir) hand chondro (from the Greek word khondros) cartilage cion (from the Greek word kion) column or pillar clao (from the Greek word klao) break or crush cneme (from the Greek word kneme) lower leg or shin bone coeli or coelo (from the Greek word koiloma) opening or cavity compso (from the Greek word kompso) elegant coryth (from the Greek word koryth) helmet costa (from the Greek word costa) rib cryo (from the Greek word kryos) cold crypto (from the Greek word kryptos) hidden cyon (from the Greek word kuon) dog dactly (from the Greek word dactylos) finger deino (from the Greek word deinos) fearfully great or terrible derm (Greek) skin di (Greek) two dino (from the Greek word deino) fearfully great or terrible diplo (from the Greek word diploos) double or in pairs docus (from the Greek word dokos) beam, bar or shaft don or dont (from the Greek word odon) tooth draco (from the Greek word rakon) dragon dromeus or dromeo (from the Greek word dromeus) runner drypto (from the Greek word drypto) wounding echino (Greek) spiny elasmo (from the Greek word elasma) metal plated or elastic, like thin, beaten metal elmi (Greek) foot eo (from the Greek godess of the dawn, Eos) dawn equus (from Latin) horse eu (from the Greek word eus) good or well eury (From the Greek word eurys) wide felis (From Latin) cat giga (from the Greek word gigas) savage giant gnathus (from the Greek word gnatos) jaw hadro (from the Greek word hadros) large hetero (from the Greek word heteros) mixed or different hippos (Greek) horse hydro (Greek) water hypacro (Greek) top hypselo or hypsi (from the Greek word hypsos) high ichthyo (from the Greek word ichthys) fish iguano (from the Arawak word iwana) iguana kentro (from the Greek word kentron) sharp point or spur krito (from the Greek word kritos) chosen or separated lana (from the Latin word lanatus) woolly lepto (from the Greek word leptos) thin or slender lestes (from the Greek word leistes) robber lio (from the Greek word leios) smooth lite or lithos (from the Greek word lithos) stone lopho, lophos (from the Greek word lophos) crest or tuft lyco (from the Greek word lykos) wolf lystro (Greek) shovel maia (from the Greek Maia, mythical mother of Hermes) good mother Name (Language of Origin) Meaning in English

Name (Language of Origin) Meaning in English macro (from the Greek word makros) long or large megal (from the Greek word megas) great micro (from the Greek word mikros) small mio (Greek) less mono (Greek) single or alone masso (Greek) long or bulky mega (from the Greek megas) huge merus (from the Greek meros) part or portion metro (Greek) measure micro (from the Greek word mikros) tiny mimus (from the Greek word mimikos) mimic morph (Greek) shape nano (Greek) dwarf or very small neo (from the Latin word neos) new neustes (from the Greek word neustes) swimmer nodo (from the Latin word nodulus) knotted or lumpy noto (from the Greek word nodus) node or nodulus notos (from the Greek word notos) south nycho or nychus (from the Greek onykh) clawed odon or odont (from the Greek word odon) tooth oid or oides (Greek) like oligo (from the Greek word oligos) few or little onyx (from the Greek word onyx) claw or talon opistho (from the Greek word opisthen) at the back or behind ops (from the Greek word ops) eye or face opsis (from the Greek word opsis) face ornis or ornitho (from the Greek, ornis means bird) bird oro, oros, oreios (from the Greek word oros) mountain ortho (from the Greek word orthos) straight ovo or ovi (from the Latin word ovum) egg pachy (from the Greek word pachys) thick para (Greek) beside patri (Latin) father pedi (Latin) foot pelon (from the Greek word pelos) mud or clay peloro (from the Greek word peloros) monstrous penta (Greek) five phalanges (from the Greek word phalanx) fingers or toes phyllo (from the Greek word phyllon) leaf physis (Greek) form placo (Greek) broad or flat plateo (from the Greek word plateos) flat plesio (from the Greek word plesios) near pleuro (from the Greek word pleuron) side or rib plio (from the Greek word pleion) more pogon (Greek) beard poly (from the Greek word polys) many or much pod or pos (Latin) foot or to put preno (Greek) sloping prio (from the Greek word prion) saw pro (Greek) before protero (from the Greek word proteros) earlier or former proto (from the Greek word protos) first or earliest psittaco (from the Greek word psittakos) parrot pteron (from the Greek word pteron) feather or wing pteryx (from the Greek word pterygion) wing or fin pyro (from the Greek word pyros) fire quadr (Latin) four raptor (Latin) robber or plunderer rex (Latin) king rhinus or rhino (Greek) nose or snout rhomale (from the Greek word rhomaleos) robust or strong saetum (Latin) bristle salto (Latin) leaping sarco (Greek) flesh saur, sauro or sauros or saurus (from the Greek word sauros) lizard (or generalized reptile) scapho (from the Greek word skaphe, meaning boat) canoe scelida (from the Greek word skelis) hind leg segno (from the Latin word segnis) slow seismo (from the Greek word seismos) earthquake Sino Chinese smilo (Greek) knife spino (Latin) thorn or backbone spondyl (from the Greek word spondylos) vertebrae stego (from the Greek word stegos) roof or cover steno (from the Greek word stenos) narrow, close or slender strepto (from the Greek word streptos) reversed struthio (Greek) ostrich suchus (from the Greek word soukhos) crocodile tetra (Greek) four thallasso (Greek) sea thero, therium (from the Greek word therion) beast titano (Greek) titanic tops (Greek) face tri (Greek) three troo (Greek) wound tyranno (from the Greek word tyrannikos) tyrant ultra (Latin) extreme urus tail veloci (from the Latin word velocitas) speedy venator (from the Latin word venator) hunter vulcano (from the Latin god Vulcanus) volcano zo, zoa, zoon (from the Greek zoia) animals or life zygo (Greek) joined Name (Language of Origin) Meaning in English