The publication of the World Reference Base (WRB) and its acceptance as the preferred soil correlation system of the IUSS, has led to querries about the use of specific soil and soil horizon names and their definitions. A certain amount of confusion is created when the same name is used for a different concept or different names used for similar reference groups or soil horizons. One may also argue that each name has an inherent copyright attached and cannot be used by different classification systems unless the concept is defined exactly as done by the original “copyright holder”. In the following a brief historical overview is given of the FAO legend and revised legend and WRB. The parallel developments that took place in Soil Taxonomy is commented upon in order to sort out the origin of the potential problem and its significance for the further development of international soil correlation. To illustrate the historical roots of this problem the evolution of the basic concept of Podzols is discussed first.