WEBCarl Linnaeus coined the name Homo sapiens. All modern humans are classified into the species Homo sapiens, coined by Carl Linnaeus in his 1735 work Systema Naturae. The generic name "Homo" is a learned 18th-century derivation from Latin homō, which refers to humans of either sex. The word human can refer to all members of the Homo genus. The name "Homo sapiens" means 'wise man' or ...