Polymer nomenclature is important because it is part of the language of polymer science and is needed for polymer identification, reference, and documentation. A primer on polymer nomenclature is provided herein for people new to the field or for instructional use. Both structurebased and source-based nomenclatures, together with trivial and trade names, are described. Source-based nomenclature is commonly used by polymer scientists for polymers where the starting monomers are known. The structure-based approach is especially helpful when the chemical structure of a polymer is well-defined; it is part of the recommendations from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and Chemical Abstracts Service. Appropriate illustrations of these approaches are provided.