History Question About Origins of the Name Ameraucana

[Steve Neumann]

I am curious, because Jerry Segler told me that in the 1970's both Ameraucanas and Araucanas were referred to as Araucanas by everybody.  Was the name Ameraucana coined because the Araucana breed club got their breed accepted to the APA first with the name and the name was taken, or were the founding breeders using the name prior to the admittance of Araucanas?  When exactly did the names diverge, and who came up with the name Ameraucana and when was the first time it appeared in print?  I'm just curious, because this is one piece of history info I've never found in any thread.

[Stan Alder]

There is a link to 'history' on the main page...It may answer more questions than you have thought up yet...it's pretty detailed...

[John W Blehm]

Mike Gilbert and Don Cable started the club in 1978 without a name, as I understand it.  There were about a dozen charter members working on bantam "American Araucanas".  Since Araucana, the breed name they had been using, was now the official name for the tufted and rumples blue egg laying chickens.  Jerry Segler and Mike created most of the original bantam varieties.  I think I read that one of those charter members put American and Araucana together and proposed the name Ameraucana.  It was put to a vote in the fall of 1978 and the results were published in the first Ameraucana Club Bulletin in the spring of 1979. 

http://ameraucanaalliance.org/DnLd/Ameraucanas.pdf

The tufted and rumpless breed was officially accepted first into the Standard. They took the name Araucana. There was still a large following breeding the muffed and tailed blue egg layers, so they had to come up with a new name for their breed that they had also referred to as Araucana up to that time. They organized a breed club and chose the name Ameraucana over American Araucana by a 9 to 5 vote. 

[Mike Gilbert]

I would just add that no "breed club" got the Araucana accepted.   There was so much controversy in the 1970's that the APA saw fit to eventually just impose a breed standard for the Araucana.   At least one qualifying meet had been held that failed.   That left us with tailed birds holding the bag, so to speak, although I have raised both breeds.   We put the name to a vote, and Ameraucana came out on top.
 

[Steve Neumann]

Thank you for the info!