Think of the variants of names this ubiquitous plant has : Buganvilla (Spain), Bugambilia (Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Philippines), Bouganvilla (India), Pokok bunga kertas (Indonesia, Malaysia), Bougenville (Pakistan), Napoleón (Honduras), Jahanamiya (Arab World), Veranera (Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama), Trinitaria (Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic & Venezuela), Santa Rita (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay), Papelillo (Northern Peru), Primavera (Brazil), Drillingsblume (triplet flower, Germany)....

The first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a botanist accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation of the Earth, and first published for him by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789.It is possible that the first European to observe these plants was Jeanne Baré, Commerçon's lover and assistant who was an expert in botany. Because she was not allowed on ship as a woman, she disguised herself as a man in order to make the journey (and thus became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe).