From the first B-Series pickup truck, Mazda has used the engine displacement to determine the name. Thus, the B1500 had a 1.5 L I4 engine, and the new B4000 has a 4.0 L V6. For 2002, the name was changed to simply Mazda Truck in the United States. Mazda's partnership with Ford has resulted in the sharing of this vehicle—the Mazda B-Series and Ford Ranger are essentially the same after 1994.

In Japan, Mazda uses the Proceed name on its compact pickup trucks, and another line of larger trucks is available called the Mazda Titan. Other names used for this line include Mazda Bravo (Australia), Mazda Bounty (New Zealand), and Mazda Drifter (South Africa). However, it should be borne in mind that the Mazda B-Series and Ford Ranger twins found inside North America are unrelated to the ones sold elsewhere. Those are engineered by Mazda, whereas the North American models are developed by Ford.