The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett.

It is a medium-sized, blackish hornbill, approximately 70 cm long.

The male is dark reddish-brown on the crown and nape, with a paler neck.

Both sexes have a large, dull, yellowish bill with a maroon patch at the base, a serrated casque, and an inflatable blue throat.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range, small population size and overhunting in some areas, the Sumba hornbill is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.