Between 2009 and 2010, excavations were carried out at the Grès à Reptiles Formation at Velaux-La Bastide Neuve by the Palaios Association and the University of Poitiers.

[1] During the excavations, the holotype of Atsinganosaurus, VBN.93.01.a-d, a set of four posterior dorsal vertebrae,[2] was discovered along with the remains of Garrigatitan, another titanosaurian.

[3] Atsinganosaurus was first described by Géraldine Garcia, Sauveur Amico, Francois Fournier, Eudes Thouand and Xavier Valentin in 2010, and the type species is A.

[2][4] More specimens, including an occipital condyle (MMS/VBN.09.41), a right portion of the braincase (MMS/VBN.09.167) and a probable left pterygoid (MMS/VBN.09.158a), were described by Díez Díaz et al. (2018),[4] and a few parts of the skull, several teeth, vertebrae from each section of the vertebral column, ribs, chevrons, shoulder and pelvic girdle elements, most of the bones of the arm, and most of the bones of the leg are also known from multiple individuals, including VBN.93.MHNA.99.21.

[3][4] The generic name is derived from the Greek word "τσιγγάνος" or "αθίγγανος", both meaning "gypsy", which refers to the possible migration from east to west of the species.