Banksia hirta is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. It was known as Dryandra hirsuta until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele. Since the name Banksia hirsuta had already been published (it is a synonym for Pimelea latifolia subsp. hirsuta), Mast and Thiele had to choose a new specific epithet; their choice, "hirta" is from the Latin hirtus ("hairy"), in reference to the indumentum that covers most of the plant.