Muscovies had been domesticated by various
Native American cultures in the
New World when
Columbus arrived. A few Muscovys were first brought to
Europe by the European explorers at least by the
1500s. The
Muscovy Company, also called the
Muscovite Company, began shipping the ducks to Europe sometime after 1550. It is believed that the ducks came to be interchangeably called
Muscovite ducks or
Muscovy ducks in keeping with the common practice of attaching the importer's name to the products they sold. Over the years,
Muscovy became more colloquial than
Muscovite.
[2] In certain sections of England the name "Barbary" duck is most common. In certain circles the name Barbary duck refers to the butchered carcass while Muscovy duck refers to the live animal.