“混血”，最初特别指黑白人之间的性结合，1863年由美国记者大卫·古德曼·克罗利不规范地创造，源自拉丁语 miscere 意为“混合”（来自原始印欧语词根 *meik-，意为“混合”）+ genus 意为“种族”，来自原始印欧语词根 *gene-，意为“生育、繁殖”，其衍生词通常与生育和家庭、部落群体相关。这个词首次出现在《混血：种族融合的理论，应用于美国白人与黑人》，这是克罗利和其他人匿名出版的一本假冒反废奴主义的小册子，目的是在1864年美国总统选举前传播这一观点。这个词的旧称是 amalgamation。
The design of "Miscegenation" was exceedingly ambitious, and the machinery employed was probably among the most ingenious and audacious ever put into operation to procure the indorsement of absurd theories and give the subject the widest notoriety. The object was to so make use of the prevailing ideas of the extremists of the Anti-Slavery party, as to induce them to accept doctrines which would be obnoxious to the great mass of the community, and which would, of course, be used in the political canvass which was to ensue. [P.T. Barnum, "The Humbugs of the World," 1866; he also writes that, despite the pamphlet being an ingenious and impudent literary hoax, the word "has passed into the language and no future dictionary will be complete without it."]
“混血”的设计极其雄心勃勃，所用的手段可能是历史上最巧妙、最大胆的之一，旨在获取荒谬理论的认可，并使这一主题广为人知。其目的是利用废奴主义者极端分子的主流观点，诱使他们接受那些会让大多数人反感的理论，这些理论当然会在随后的政治竞选中被利用。[P.T. 巴纳姆，《世界的骗局》，1866年；他还指出，尽管这本小册子是一个巧妙而无耻的文学骗局，但这个词已经进入了语言，未来的任何词典都将无法缺少它。]
