This genus was originally described by Ruiz & Pavón, as OHigginsia "Ohigginsia" in honor of Ambrosio O'Higgins. Ruiz & Pavón described three species of Ohigginsia. Subsequently this genus was recognized by several authors but with an altered spelling, "Higginsia". Persoon first used this altered spelling, and was followed by de Candolle. Persoon's name has sometimes been treated as an intent to publish a new genus, however it seems more likely that he intended to cite Ruiz & Pavón's genus. Thus, "Higginsia" is here treated as an orthographic variant. More authors used the spelling "Higginsia" than the correct spelling, and those names thus need orthographic correction to "Ohigginsia". In any case the name Hoffmannia Sw. is older than these names. The variant spelling of the genus names is not fully corrected here in TROPICOS, because this is a synonymous genus and adding the "O" to each of the names that have been cited without it will introduce confusion; the goal of this project is primarily to account for the scientific names that have been cited for tropical Rubiaceae, including common spelling variations and unpublished names.

Ruiz & Pavón and Persoon used the name Ohigginsia or Higginsia for Neotropical plants that are now included in Hoffmannia. Contemporaneously, Blume also used the name Higginsia for some Paleotropical plants that have many similar characters to Hoffmannia. These Paleotropical plants differ in several characters from Hoffmannia, including fruit structure, and are now classified in Hypobathrum, which belongs to a distinct and entirely Paleotropical tribe, Hypobathreae.