The Fiji parrotfinch was initially described by American naturalist and entomologist Titian Peale. As chief naturalist for the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 led by Charles Wilkes, Peale collected and preserved many specimens, including the red-throated parrotfinch from Samoa and the Fiji parrotfinch from Vanua Levu. Peale named the latter species as "Geospiza prasina". Peale's birds were reviewed by German physician and ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub. Hartlaub moved the Fiji species to the genus "Erythrura", and then had to change the specific name, since another bird, the pin-tailed parrotfinch already had the binomial "E. prasina". He renamed the Fiji bird as "E. pealii" in honour of its finder. The Fijian common names "kulakula" and "qiqikula" are derived from "kula", red.