Garbanzo Beans vs Chickpeas. Garbanzo beans and chickpeas are the same plant, or specifically, the same legume. Like many plants, garbanzo beans and chickpeas are just one of the various names and layman’s terms of the Cicer arietinum.hough referring to the same species, “chickpea” is often the common name used for English-speaking people while “garbanzo” is used by Spanish-speaking people. In a nation with both languages present, the names might be used interchangeably. Two types of garbanzo beans or chickpeas are known, the Kabuli and the Desi.