'ameiuridae' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ameiurus,' where 'a-' meant 'without' and 'meiurus' meant 'curtailed' or 'short-tailed.'

'ameiurus' transformed into the scientific classification 'ameiuridae' to denote the family of catfishes.

Initially, it referred to the specific genus 'ameiurus,' but over time it evolved to represent the entire family of catfishes known as 'ameiuridae.'