How Did Killer Whales Get Their Name

The name killer whale probably began with sailors and whalers calling orcas whale killers.

The name killer whale originated from the term whale killer given to it by fishermen who witnessed it hunting other whale species. The killer whale or orca is the largest dolphin species. Killer whales reputation as fierce hunters comes in part because they frequently target other marine animals regardless of size. These sailors who traveled to distant locations by sea had often been witness to the hunting skills of orcas.

At some point perhaps through an error in translation it got switched around to killer whale. The name killer whale was given to orcas by spanish sailors.