The sheep are named after the 13th century explorer Marco Polo because they were described in The Travels of Marco Polo. The 1914 Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan: Badakhshan notes that in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan the sheep are known locally as nakhjipar. They are called ra-ma-poy in Wakhi, the language of natives of the Khunzerav region round the high Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan and China.