A molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2007 found that the family was composed of nine major clades.

[1] When Edward Dickinson and James Van Remsen, Jr. updated the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World for the 4th edition in 2013 they divided the hummingbirds into six subfamilies and proposed using the name Florisuginae for the clade consisting of the genera Topaza and Florisuga.

The subfamily Florisuginae had originally been introduced (as Florisugeae) by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1853.

[2][3] Molecular phylogenetic studies by Jimmy McGuire and collaborators published between 2007 and 2014 determined the relationships between the major groups of hummingbirds.

[7] Florisuginae – topazes Phaethornithinae – hermits Polytminae – mangoes Heliantheini – brilliants Lesbiini – coquettes Patagoninae – giant hummingbird Lampornithini – mountain gems Mellisugini – bees Trochilini – emeralds The subfamily contains four species.