The island was first charted by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1903–05, under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, and named "Ile Nansen" after Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian Arctic explorer.

in Wilhelmina Bay, the UK-APC recommended in 1960 that the island be renamed for Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, French chemist who pioneered the study of metabolism.

There is a small penguin rookery on this rock, which provides the only known landing place on the east side of Lavoisier Island.

Named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Charles E.A.

Winslow, American physiologist who has specialized in the reactions of the human body to cold environments.