First collected by Luis Née between March and April 1793, the fern-leaved banksia was described by Antonio José Cavanilles in 1800 as two separate species from two collections, first as "Banksia oblongifolia" from the vicinity of Port Jackson (Sydney), and then as "Banksia salicifolia" from around Botany Bay. Derived from the Latin words "oblongus" "oblong", and "folium" "leaf", the species name refers to the shape of the leaves. Richard Anthony Salisbury had published the name "Banksia aspleniifolia" in 1796 based on leaves of cultivated material.