Acis fabrei was first collected in 1882 on the southern slopes of Mont Ventoux. Specimens were sent to the National Museum of Natural History in Paris by the entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. It was only re-discovered in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, it was first described as a new species, as Leucojum fabrei. In 2004, it was transferred to Acis, along with other species of Leucojum, on the basis of a molecular phylogenetic study. It resembles Acis nicaeensis, which has an overlapping distribution, but can be distinguished by several characters, including wider leaves, longer pedicels, and a larger distance between the stigma and the anthers.