'Meleagris' originates from scientific Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek 'μελέαγρις (meleagrís)', where the Greek word referred to a kind of gamebird (often translated as 'guinea-fowl' or similar).

'Meleagris' was borrowed into Latin from Ancient Greek 'μελέαγρις (meleagrís)' and was later retained in scientific Latin and modern biological nomenclature as the genus name 'Meleagris'.

Initially, the Greek term meant a particular gamebird (often rendered 'guinea-fowl' or similar); over time it has come to be used specifically as the scientific genus name for turkeys in modern taxonomy.