It was discovered in the late 1970s and was originally known as leu-3 and T4 (after the OKT4 monoclonal antibody that reacted with it) before being named CD4 in 1984.
Descubriuse a finais da década de 1970 e orixinalmente deuselle o nome de leu-3 e T4 (debido aos anticorpos monoclonais OKT4 que reaccionaban con el) antes de ser rebautizado como CD4 en 1984.