The blond capuchin was first described as "caitaia" by Georg Marcgrave in 1648. In 1774 Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber posited "Simia flavia" as an independent species, but it had long lacked any specimen. It was not until in 2006 when researchers made its neotype designation. In their neotype designation article, de Oliveira and Langguth confirmed the consistency of Marcgrave’s, Schreber’s, and their capuchins, attributed the authority to Schreber, and established a new combination of its scientific name, "C. flavius" Schreber, 1774.