In 1878, Joseph Leidy proposed the current name Amoeba proteus to describe Rösel's Proteus, Proteus diffluens, and another described amoeba Amoeba princeps.
In 1878, Joseph Leidy established the current name "Amoeba proteus" for a group of organisms previously known as Rösel's Proteus, Proteus diffluens, and Amoeba princeps.