nˈɪkəlz nˈeɪmd kˈoʊpiə tə kəmˈɛmɚɹˌeɪt ˈɛdwɚd dɹˈɪŋkɚ kˈoʊp, ɐ pɹˈɑːmɪnənt nˈaɪntiːnθsˈɛntʃɚɹi ˌɪkθɪˈɑːlədʒˌɪst ænd hˌɜːpɪtˈɑːlədʒˌɪst.
Nichols named Copeia to commemorate Edward Drinker Cope, a prominent 19th-century ichthyologist and herpetologist.