The American Eskimo is a member of the ancient and wide ranging Spitz family of dogs. One 18th century German historian claimed that the Spitz was the ancestor of all domestic breeds. White Spitzes were popular in Pomerania and in the coastal regions of Germany. Sailors traded the white dogs throughout Europe. When Queen Charlotte of England acquired several white Spitzes, the dogs became fashionable among British aristocrats. White Spitzes appear in several Gainsborough paintings.

German immigrants probably brought the white Spitz dogs to the United States, where they served as watchdogs, family pets, and circus dogs.

Known as the German Spitz in its homeland, the breed was renamed the American Eskimo in 1917. This was probably a reaction to the unpopularity during World War I of anything associated with Germany.

The American Eskimo was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1913.

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