Elias Magnus Fries described this species in 1821 as Agaricus hypothejus, before placing it in the genus Hygrophorus in 1838.

Its species name is derived from the Ancient Greek words hypo and theios "sulphur yellow underneath".

It has the common name of herald of the winter as it appears in autumn with the onset of the first overnight frosts.

[3] Alternate names are late fall waxy cap in the United States,[4] and yellow-gilled waxcap.

[5] The cap measures 3–6 cm (1+1⁄8–2+3⁄8 in) across, is yellowish to olive brown with a dark center and slimy surface,[3][6] and has a rolled margin when young, flattening and becoming more funnel-shaped as it ages.