The first description as
Cereus tetetzo (spelled "Cereus tetazo") was made in 1896 by John Merle Coulter. The specific epithet tetetzo refers to the Spanish common name "Tetetzo". Léon Diguet placed the species in the genus
Cephalocereus in 1928. Further
nomenclature synonyms are
Pilocereus tetetzo (F.A.C.Weber ex J.M.Coult.) F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum. (1897),
Cephalocereus tetetzo (F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.) Vaupel (1909),
Pachycereus tetetzo (F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.) Ochot. (1922),
Neobuxbaumia tetetzo (F.A.C.Weber ex J.M.Coult.) Backeb. (1938) and
Carnegiea tetetzo (F.A.C.Weber ex J.M.Coult.) P.V.Heath (1992). == References ==