ˈɛlɪəts fˈɛzənt wʌz fˈɜːst dᵻskɹˈaɪbd ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti tˈuː baɪ ɹˈɑːbɚt swˈɪnhoʊ, ˌʌndɚ ðə nˈeɪm "fˈæsiənəs ˌɛlɪˈoʊɾi"; ðə tˈaɪp mətˈɪɹiəl wʌz fɹʌm nˈɪŋpoʊ, ʒˈɛdʒjɑːŋ pɹˈɑːvɪns, tʃˈaɪnə.
Elliot's pheasant was first described in 1872 by Robert Swinhoe, under the name "Phasianus ellioti"; the type material was from Ningpo, Zhejiang province, China.