Proteus was found from the images taken by "Voyager 2" probe during the Neptune flyby in 1989. It got the designation S/1989 N 1. Stephen P. Synnott and Bradford A. Smith said (IAUC 4806) its discovery on July 7, 1989, speaking only of “17 frames taken over 21 days”, which gives a discovery date of sometime before June 16. The name was given on 16 September 1991.