[1][2] The crested chameleon was first described as Chamaeleon cristatus by Samuel Stutchbury in 1837.

This was the general position in subsequent centuries, although the genus name was corrected to Chamaeleo.

[2] The crested chameleon is restricted to Central Africa, where it can be found in Equatorial Guinea (including the island of Bioko), Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, Ghana and Togo.

[2] The crested chameleon is found at an altitude between 10 and 900 metres (33 and 2,953 feet) above mean sea level, and it inhabits forests (including secondary forests), forest-savanna mosaics and farmland.

The species is sometimes collected for the pet trade and some local population may have declined because of this.