In this study, we sought to infer the evolutionary history of the human IFITM genes and identify potential homologues. We mined 36 eukaryotic species, covering all major eukaryotic groups, and found that the IFITMs form a subfamily in a larger novel family that has ten human members in addition to the four IFITM genes. We propose Dispanins as a novel name for this family, which refers to their common 2TM structure. Further, we find that the eukaryotic Dispanins first appeared before the radiation of metazoa and that they branch out into four subfamilies (A-D). More surprisingly, we also discover that the Dispanins are found in a large range of bacteria and in brown alga.