The International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) governs the scientific names for bacteria. As such it is one of the Nomenclature Codes. Originally the botanical Code dealt with bacteria, and this kept references to bacteria until 1975.
A bacteriological code of nomenclature was approved at the 4th International Congress for Microbiology in 1947, but was later discarded. The official "Nomenclatural Starting Date" for the current International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria is January 1, 1980.