The bacteria owe their name, Nanoarchaeum equitans, or primitive riding dwarf, to the fact that they live on the surface of a much bigger organism named Ignicoccus, or fireball, on which they seem to depend for growth.
Bakterile pandi nimeks Nanoarchaeum equitans, mis tähendab ’ primitiivne ratsutav kääbus ’, kuna see bakter elab endast suurema organismi pinnal, mille nimi on Ignicoccus ehk ’ tulekera ’, millest näib sõltuvat bakteri elu.