This is what we Romanians call “pancakes” (clătite). In the US for example, these are not “pancakes”. What Americans call “pancakes”, we call “clătite americane” (American pancakes) or just “pancakes” (the untranslated English word).
~The pancakes in the photos were made by me~
Depending on where you are in the United States you’ll hear them called “pancakes” or “flapjacks.” I think the difference is, a pancake is cooked in town on an electric or gas stove by someone wearing an apron, a flapjack is cooked in the woods over a campfire by someone wearing flannel.
Allegedly the term “hotcakes” also meant pancakes, but I think it’s obsolete. It survives in the expression “to sell like hotcakes.” In my experience, you’re more likely to hear it used as a euphemism for tits than breakfast carbohydrate discs.
In the United States what is pictured are not called pancakes. Those are Crêpes / crepes. Add a levening agent (baking soda) and flour and ya got American pancakes.
Want to make them better and more uniquely American and not so Fastfood American?
Use sourdough starter Or
Carefully stir in (to not make it flat) 7up or a not too bitter beer replacing some or all of the water Or
Replace some of the flour with fine corn meal, add rosemary and a pork product (eg sausage, cooked bacon cubes)
You want uniquely American, forget wheat flour and make some hoe cakes. Cornmeal based.
McDonald’s still sells “hotcakes” for breakfast.