Late 16th century; earliest use found in John Bossewell (d. 1580), author. From classical Latin callithrix (plural callitriches), a kind of ape or monkey in Ethiopia (Pliny) from ancient Greek καλλίθριξ (oblique stem καλλιτριχ-) having beautiful hair or fur from καλλι-, combining form of κάλλος beauty + θρίξ hair, adopted as a genus name by J. C. P. Erxleben in his Systema Regni Animalis 55.