French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot described the banded stilt in 1816, classifying it in the avocet genus "Recurvirostra" and giving it the name "Recurvirostra leucocephala", "L'avocette a tete blanche" ("white-headed avocet"). He only recorded the species as being found in "terres australes", the meaning of which is unclear. Amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews interpreted this as Victoria, while Erwin Stresemann concluded this was Rottnest Island in Western Australia. The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek words "leukos" "white", and "kephale" "head". French naturalist Georges Cuvier described it as "Recurvirostra orientalis" the same year. Belgian ornithologist Bernard du Bus de Gisignies described it as a new genus and species, "Leptorhynchus pectoralis", to the Royal Academy of Belgium in 1835.