 "Scipio" refers to both Scipione Breislak, the 18th century geologist who wrote the first description of the formation in which the fossil was found and Scipio Africanus, the famous Roman consul fighting Hannibal.The specific name "samniticus" means "From Samnium", the Latin name of the region around Pietraroja.Several other names had been considered but rejected, such as "Italosaurus", "Italoraptor" and "Microraptor".