What's the protocol behind the naming of ERC20 or others?

Question

I can see other networks stick on this style of naming like TRC20 or BEP20...

It seems confusing,

• Do they name those based on a protocol or naming rules or just copying each others style?

Answer 1

• ERC #: Ethereum Request for Comment
• EIP #: Ethereum Improvement Proposal

Generally speaking, ERC is early-stage and they (may) graduate to EIP level via the governance process. Have a look here:

https://eips.ethereum.org/erc

And here, for the status of ERC20 (as an example):

https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20

One might say that "EIP-20" is a more precise nomenclature for the "ERC20" specification. In practice, ERC20 is the more commonly used colloquialism. That tends to happen because standards can be talked about and even used for years before they graduate to the level of an adopted, finalized, formal standard.

Hope it helps.

Edit

In many cases, similar standards on competing chains copy the numbering scheme so people find the names easy to remember, e.g. BEP20 is (like) an ERC20 on the Binance Smart Chain.