Early settlers on Réunion referred to the bird as "huppe", due to the similarity of its crest and curved bill with that of the hoopoe. Little was recorded about the hoopoe starling during the next 100 years, but specimens began to be brought to Europe during the 18th century. The species was first scientifically described by Philippe Guéneau de Montbeillard in the 1779 edition of Comte de Buffon's "Histoire Naturelle", and received its scientific name from Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert for the book's 1783 edition. Boddaert named the bird "Upupa varia"; its genus name is that of the hoopoe, and its specific name means "variegated", describing its black-and-white colour.