The name marsh tern refers to terns of the genus Chlidonias, which typically breed in freshwater marshes, rather than coastal locations.

The genus Chlidonias was introduced in 1822 by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque with Sterna melanops Rafinesque = Sterna surinamensis Gmelin, J.F.

[2][3] The name Chlidonias is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow".

Notice the hesitation in the gender of the epithet of the scientific names, as they are usually masculine (albostriatus, leucopterus or niger), but in the case of the whiskered tern is mostly used as feminine (hybrida), maybe from the influence of the previous gender used, Sterna.

The black-bellied tern (Sterna acuticauda) and the white-cheeked tern (Sterna repressa) might also be placed in Chlidonias.