The generic name Geocolaptes combines the Classical Greek geō meaning "ground" with the genus name Colaptes that had been introduced by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825. Colaptes comes from the Ancient Greek kolaptēs meaning "chiseller".
Geocolaptes is formed by combining elements from Classical and Ancient Greek languages, specifically "geō" (ground) and "kolaptēs" (chiseller).