Antonie van Leeuwenhoek described both protozoa and bacteria in 1675 to 1677 as “animalcules” and the discovery of Mycoplasma came much later, in France in 1898. Mycoplasma have had numerous different names over the years with the term Mollicutes proposed in 1967. This lecture discusses Mollicute nomenclature and history. The International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) develops the International Code on which bacteriologists rely for the naming of prokaryotes. The ICSP Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes (ICSP-STM) advises on the nomenclature of Mollicutes, defining minimal standards to assign new species, and providing guidance on both the naming of new species and the renaming of known ones. Retention of historical names is of paramount importance to ensure nomenclature compatible with clinical, veterinary, agricultural, and industrial colleagues, as well as patients. Mollicutes have been named after people, higher species, clinical syndromes, phenotypic traits, morphology and more. The ICSP-STM takes the position that Mollicutes should retain conventional nomenclature, and considers the recent judicial commission decision fundamentally flawed, relying on intellectual taxonomic principles to the detriment of common sense for application. The ICSP-STM is committed to keep nomenclature aligned to the agreed code and existing scientific/clinical practice and retaining standards for authors naming Mollicutes. When considering naming new species, contacting ICSP-STM for advice and to engage with the Mollicutes research community prior to publication of changes.