The scientific name for the sunflower is Helianthus annuus. The French name is tournesol, which means "turns to the sun," and its names in many other languages also reflect the belief that the sunflower follows the sun throughout the day.
向日葵的學名 Helianthus annuus、英文名稱 sunflower 和法語名稱 tournesol，皆是「太陽花」的意思，傳說其花朵常向著太陽轉動，而有「迎陽花」、「日頭花」、「日輪草」、「望日蓮」等別名，在秘魯更被認為是太陽的象徵。