The name "Altingiaceae" has a long and complex
taxonomic history. Some attribute the name to
John Lindley, who
published it in 1846. Others say that the authority for the name is Paul F. Horaninov, who described the group in 1841. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the family Altingiaceae was not generally accepted. Most authors placed these genera in
Hamamelidaceae and this treatment has been followed in some recent works as well. In the twenty-first century, however,
molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that including Altingiaceae in Hamamelidaceae makes Hamamelidaceae paraphyletic. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group recognizes four families in the lineage including Altingiaceae.
Cercidiphyllaceae and
Daphniphyllaceae are sister. This clade is sister to
Hamamelidaceae and these three families are sister to Altingiaceae. The clade is sister to Paeoniaceae The family is named for the genus
Altingia, now a synonym of
Liquidambar. This genus was named in honor of
Willem Arnold Alting (1724–1800), the
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies when
Noronha visited
Java. == Evolution ==