The species of Notobubon were previously placed within the large predominantly Eurasian genus Peucedanum L. However, recent studies of the African Peucedanum species (Winter et al. 2008) revealed that they were not related to their supposed Eurasian relatives and were therefore separated into six African endemic genera, namely Afroligusticum C. Norman, Afrosciadium P.J.D. Winter, Cynorhiza Eckl. & Zeyh., Lefebvrea A.Rich., Nanobubon Magee, and Notobubon B.E-van Wyk. The twelve currently recognized species of Notobubon can be distinguished from the previously mentioned African genera by their shrubby habit, permanent woody branches, evergreen leathery leaves and smaller fruit.

The root of the name Notobubon reflects the fact that many of the species of this genus were once part of the genus Bubon L. (see e.g. Sonder 1862).The Greek prefix "noto" means southern and alludes to the genus's southern African origin (Magee et al. 2009). The specific epithet, "galbanum" indicates that at the time of its description this species was erroneously considered to be the species from which one of the oldest recorded medicines, galbanum, was obtained.