1. Naming Muscles

2. Language The names of muscles are in Latin rather than in English.
By using descriptive words in combinations of two or three, anatomists have named all the muscles of the human body.

3. Shape Muscles can be named for their shapes. Examples: Platy – flat
Rhomboidus – diamond shaped
Trapezius – trapezoid shaped
Deltoid – triangular shaped

4. Size Muscles can be named for their size. Examples: Magnus – large
Maximus – largest
Medius – medium sized
Brevis - short

5. Direction of fibers
Muscles can be named according to the direction of the muscle fibers.
Examples:
oblique – diagonal
Rectus – erect or up and down
Transverse – across or left to right

6. Function Muscles can be named for their function. Examples:
Extensor – extends
Adductor – adducts a limb
Depressor – lowers a body part

7. Location Muscles can be named for the region in which they are found.
Examples:
Brachialis – arm
Femoris – femur bone
Oculi – eye
Radialis - radius

8. Relative position
Muscles can be named according to what their position is relative to a body part such as bone or a region.
Examples:
Tibialis anterior – anterior to the tibia bone
External intercostalis – muscles that are superficial to the areas between the ribs