The species was scientifically described for the first time by the Swedish naturalist Peter Forsskål in 1775. Forsskål referred the species to the genus "Scomber", where many jacks were placed before the recognition of the family Carangidae. The species is initially referred with two epithets; "Scomber rim, speciosus" in this publication; however the following page names it as "Scomber speciosus" with 'rim' given as a transcription of the species' Arabic name. Consequently, authorities regard "Scomber rim" as a junior synonym. Forsskål's description was based on an individual from the Red Sea off Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The holotype has since been lost and a neotype was invalidly designated by Ronald Fricke in 1999. The specific epithet "speciosus" is Latin for beautiful. The species was transferred to "Caranx" before the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker placed it in its own genus "Gnathanodon", with this name derived from the Latin for 'toothless jaws'. In addition to Forsskål's naming, seven other later names have been ascribed to the fish, with all of these now recognised as invalid junior synonyms under ICZN rules. The species common names generally refer to its appearance with 'golden trevally' (or kingfish), 'banded trevally' and 'king trevally' used. In Hawaii the species is referred to as 'ulua paʻopaʻo' or 'papio' when small.