The name "Full house" is thought to be derived from the term "full boat" or "full hand," which was used in the 1880s to describe a hand with three of a kind and a pair in various card games. Over time, "full boat" evolved into "full house," and the term became synonymous with the specific hand combination. The term "full house" is descriptive because it represents a hand that is "full" with a combination of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. The contrasting ranks of the three-of-a-kind and the pair create a sense of completeness or "fullness" to the hand, leading to its name. Since the early days of poker, the name "full house" has become widely recognized and used to describe this particular hand combination across different variations of the game.