A Latin name is a colloquial term for a scientific name, a formal name according to one of the Nomenclature Codes.

Presumably the background of this term goes back to the days when the name of a species was a Latin sentence, giving its key characteristics. When Carolus Linnaeus adopted two-part names for species these names continued to be treated as if a Latin sentence: if the second part is an adjective then it needs to match the gender of the genus name. This last requirement is maintained by the Codes, even today.

Category: botanical nomenclature
Category: zoological nomenclature