Other names for the species include angel tern and white noddy in English, and manu-o-Kū in Hawaiian.

[3] The white tern was first formally described by the Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman in 1786 under the binomial name Sterna alba.

[5] The name Gygis is from the Ancient Greek guges for a mythical bird and the specific alba is Latin for "white".

This species is notable for laying its egg on bare thin branches in a small fork or depression without a nest.

[16] In spite of these benefits there are costs associated with tree nesting, as the eggs and chicks are vulnerable to becoming dislodged by heavy winds.