The genus name Pelargonium alludes to the shape of the fruit which resembles that of a stork's beak, and is derived from the Greek pelargos = a stork's beak. The species epithet zonale refers to the horseshoe marking on the leaves, zona meaning a band or belt in Latin.

The genus belongs to the family Geraniaceae, which includes four other genera: Geranium, Erodium, Monsonia and Sarcocaulon. There are ± 220 species within the genus Pelargonium,  80% of them confined to southern Africa and about 80% of these confined to the south-western corner of the country.

Zonal pelargoniums and hybrids are often commonly called geraniums or pot geraniums. This misnomer causes a lot of confusion. What is actually a Pelargonium is also known as a geranium, and what is actually a Geranium is also commonly called geranium or crane's bill. The two genera are easily told apart and are not mistaken for each other, but a gardener going to a nursery, asking for a geranium, but wanting a pelargonium is going to be surprised when shown a Geranium multisectum plant when expecting to see Pelargonium zonale.