The VW Bus was meant to officially start out as The Bully, but Heinrich Lanz, the producer of the Lanz Bulldog farm tractor, objected. The VW Bus was then released being known as the VW Transporter and VW Kleinbus, but in the end, the name Bully still caught on. The German model names of Transporter and Kombi (combined use vehicle) are also popular nicknames.

Kombi is not only the nickname of the passenger VW Bus, but it is also a term in Australia, Asia, and Brazil for the whole Type 2 family. This is a pretty similar pattern to the way that the VW Bus family is called VW Bus in Germany. Even the pick up truck models are nicknamed that same thing.

In Mexico, the Kombi was translated as Combi and became a very common vehicle in Mexico, thanks to the public transportations systems heavy use of the VW Bus. In Peru, where they also called the vehicle a Combi, the term Murdering Combi was often used for the VW Bus and also for others that are similar in size.

The whole reason that they are nicknamed this is because of the recklessness of Lima bus drivers to get to their passengers. In Portugal, the VW Bus is affectionately named the Breadloaf because of its designs resemblance to a bread that is baked in a mold. In Denmark, the VW Bus is referred to as Rye Bread. The Finns have named the VW Bus the Kleinbus or the mini bus, because many taxi cab companies and transportation companies have adopted it for groups of people and their transportation needs. As a result, the name Kleinbus has become the general nickname for any and all passenger vans there.

In the United States, the VW Bus has earned the nicknames of vee dub, hippie mobile, hippie bus, hippie van, and combie. Also, they are known here as a microbus or sometimes even a transporter. The earliest versions of the VW Bus had a split front windshield, earning those models the nickname Splitty. These models are now rare, prized collectors items. The next version which was sold in the country from 1968 to 1979 had a large, curved windshield and was commonly called a bay window. It was replaced by the Vanagon, and the Westfalia camper version that has a common nickname of Westy.

In South Africe, the VW Bus is called a Volksie Bus, and is prominent in many South African commercials. Kombi is also a generic nickname for vans and mini buses there. In the United Kingdom, the VW Bus is known as a Hippy Van, a Vdub, or a Campervan.