The genus name is from Ancient Greek klangos, "eagle".

[1] The genus Clanga was described in 1854 by the Polish naturalist Adam Ferdynand Adamowicz (1802-1881).

[2][3][4] The type species is Falco maculatus J. F. Gmelin, 1788, a synonym of Aquila clanga (the greater spotted eagle) that was described in 1811 by Peter Simon Pallas.

[5][6] The genus name is from Ancient Greek klangos meaning "eagle".

[1] A molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae published in 2024 found that the genus Clanga was sister to the genus Ictinaetus which contains the black eagle.