The scientific name avellana derives from the town of Avella in Italy, and was selected by Linnaeus from Leonhart Fuchs's De historia stirpium commentarii insignes (1542), where the species was described as "Avellana nux sylvestris" ("wild nut of Avella").
O nome científico avellana derivada vila de Avella en Italia, e foi escollido por Linné de De historia stirpium commentarii insignes (1542), de Leonhart Fuchs, onde a especie se describía coma "Avellana nux sylvestris" ("noz brava de Avella").