BACKGROUND: Delirium is an acute confusion state that is common and costly. According to different clinical manifestations, delirium can be divided into three subtypes: hyperactive, hypoactive and mixed. Subtype research has become a necessary branch. However, it is difficult to record all the changes in subtype research. METHODS: Publications on delirium subtypes in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) were identified and analyzed by visualization software VOSviewer and CiteSpace. RESULTS: A total of 247 articles published from 1999 to 2022 were identified in the WOSCC, and the largest number of articles was published in 2021 (n = 33). The top three countries that contributed publications were the USA (n = 75), Ireland (n = 26), and the United Kingdom (n = 25), which communicated more often and focused on delirium subtypes earlier. Critical Care Medicine published the most articles regarding delirium subtypes, with 11 publications. Three instrument validation studies were cited most frequently. Six clusters were summarized, including descriptions of delirium among elderly people, delirium research, postoperative delirium, delirium motor subtype validation, critical delirium, and motor characteristics. The "postoperative delirium", "intensive care unit", and "cardiac surgery" keywords were seen in recent years. CONCLUSION: Based on this bibliometric analysis of the publications in the last twenty years, a comprehensive analysis of the literature clarified the contributions, changes, and evolution regarding delirium subtypes. This research can provide medical staff and researchers with revelations into future directions of delirium subtype advancements.