Actually, they are still called Samoas in some parts of the country.
Girl Scout cookies are made by large national commercial bakeries under license from Girl Scouts of the USA. The bakers that the organization licenses change from year to year; as of 2008 they are Little Brownie Bakers, a subsidiary of Kellogg's; and ABC Bakers, a subsidiary of Interbake Food (since 1939). Licensed bakers can offer up to eight varieties of Girl Scout cookies. The national Girl Scout organization reviews and approves all varieties proposed by the bakers, but requires only three types: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwiches (called Do-Si-Do's by LBB) and Shortbreads (called Trefoils by LBB). The other kinds can be changed every year, though several popular favorites, such as Caramel DeLites (LBB's Samoas) and Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs by LBB), are consistently available. Each bakery names its own cookies. Thus the exact kinds, names, and composition of the cookies varies depending on who has the license. Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers have been the primary competitors for the past several years.
Girl Scout cookie varieties for 2008 include (not all are available from both vendors, and are therefore not available in all areas):
Thin Mints: Thin mint-flavored chocolate wafers dipped in a chocolate coating.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches (Do-si-dos): Peanut butter filling sandwiched between crunchy oatmeal cookies.
Shortbread (Trefoils): A traditional shortbread cookie made in the shape of the Girl Scout trefoil logo.
Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs): Crispy vanilla cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolate coating.
Caramel deLites (Samoas): Vanilla cookies coated in carmel, sprinkled with toasted coconut and laced with chocolate strips. This is one of the few cookies in the group that has differences depending on the bakery. Samoas are made by Little Brownie Bakers. They are circular, with an orange color and are thicker from top to bottom, usually they also contain more caramel per coconut, and they are made with dark chocolate. The Caramel deLites, made by ABC Bakers, are actually hexagonal, with a more yellowish tinge, are made with milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate, and more of the cookie comes through in the flavor because of the lower caramel content. Overall they are both very popular, and most people never notice the differences. Both varieties come in purple boxes.
Thanks-A-Lot (All Abouts): Shortbread cookies dipped in fudge and topped with an embossed thank-you message in one of five languages.
Lemonades (Lemon Chalet Cremes): Shortbread cookies with lemon icing.
Cinna-spins: Introduced in 2008, Cinna-spins are cinnamon-flavored cookies that come in 100-calorie packs. Cinna-spins are shaped like miniature cinnamon rolls.
Sugar Free Chocolate Chips: Introduced in 2008, they are small sugar free cookies.