The name Acadiensis originated with an earlier periodical with the same name, a general interest quarterly magazine for the Maritime provinces, with an emphasis on local history.

It was published in Saint John, New Brunswick by David Russell Jack from 1901 to 1908 but failed due to insufficient financial support.

[3] A weekly blog, edited by Corey Slumkoski (Mount Saint Vincent University), publishes current commentaries.

[4] A related organization, Acadiensis Press, was established in 1980 to publish books, mainly scholarly editions of documents and thematic collections of essays.

[6] In June 2022, the journal decided to discontinue the printed edition and move to digital publication only, beginning with the 2023 issues.