Linnaeus specified the locality as "Asia", but this is now taken to be Ambon Island in the Maluku Islands. The purple-naped lory is now placed in the genus Lorius that was introduced in 1825 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
Linnaeus designated the location as "Asia", but it is now considered to be Ambon Island in the Maluku Islands. The purple-naped lory is currently classified under the genus Lorius, which was introduced by Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825. This species is unique, with no recognized subspecies.