"melaleuca calothamnoides" was first formally described in 1862 by ferdinand mueller in "fragmenta phytographiae australiae" from a specimen found "in limestone hills near the murchison river by augustus oldfield". the specific epithet ("calothamnoides") refers to the similarity of this species to one in the genus "calothamnus". the ending "-oides" is a latin suffix meaning "resembling" or "having the form of".