Appellations include city commercial banks, rural commercial banks, rural cooperative banks, rural banks, rural credit cooperatives, rural mutual funds cooperatives, rural credit cooperative unions and cooperative foundations.

"Eight small banks" is an informal name, which refers to some small banks and financial institutions in China. These banks are usually small in scale and have relatively limited business scope, but they have a certain market share and influence in local or specific fields.

The origin of this name may be because these banks are smaller in scale and influence than large banks, but they play an important role in serving local economy and small and medium-sized enterprises. These banks usually have high flexibility and local characteristics, and can better meet the financial needs of local customers.