Hygrophorus was first published in 1836 by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries. The generic name is derived from the Greek ῦγρὁς (= moist) + φόρος (= bearer), with reference to the slimy caps found in many species. Fries (1849) subsequently split the genus into three subgenera: Limacium, Camarophyllus, and Hygrocybe.
The genus *Hygrophorus* was first described by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries in 1836. The name comes from the Greek words "ὑγρὁς" (meaning moist) and "-φόρος" (meaning bearer), reflecting the slimy caps of many species. Fries later divided the genus into three subgenera: *Limacium*, *Camarophyllus*, and *Hygrocybe*.