elements_title.gif (3886 bytes)


The names of the elements often have interesting historical associations – and sometimes obscure ones. Their origin is given briefly here, as well as the date of their discovery. You might give some thought as to why elements were discovered when they were. The date given is for the isolation of the element; in a number of cases, boron for example, compounds of the element were recognised long before the element itself could be isolated.

 

Name   Z A Origin of name Date & discoverer(s)
Actinium Ac 89 227 Gk aktinos, beam or ray 1899 Dobierne
Aluminium Al 13 27 L alum. Alum is potassium aluminium sulphate. 1886 Hall and Heroult.
Americium Am 95 243 The Americas. Discovered at the University of Chicago. 1944 Seaborg et al.
Antimony Sb 51 122 Gk anti + monos: a metal not found alone c 1600
Argon Ar 18 40 Gk argos, inactive. 1894 Rayleigh and Ramsay
Arsenic As 33 75 Gk arsenikon, yellow orpiment; Arab. Az-zernikh, the orpiment from zerni-zar, gold. The sulphide is a yellow pigment. 1250 Albertus Magnus
Astatine At 85 210 Gk astatos, unstable. 1940 Corson, MacKenzie and Segre.
Barium Ba 56 137 Gk barys, heavy. Refers to the density of its ore. 1808 Davy
Berkelium Bk 97 247 Berkeley, California, where it was discovered discovered 1949 Thompson, Ghiorso and Seaborg.
Beryllium Be 4 9 Gk beryllos, beryl; its ore. 1798 Vauquelin.
Bismuth Bi 83 209 Ger Weisse masse, white mass; refers to its ore. 1753 Geoffroy the Younger.
Bohrium Bh 107 264 Niels Bohr, originator of the shell model of electronic structure  
Boron B 5 11 Arab. buraq, Pers. burah: borax 1808 Davy and Thenard
Bromine Br 35 80 Gk bromos, a stench 1826 Balard
Cadmium Cd 48 112 Gk kadmeia, zinc carbonate, from impure forms of which Cd was extracted 1817 Stromeyer
Caesium Cs 55 133 L caesius, sky-blue; refers to its spectrum 1860 Bunsen and Kirchhoff
Calcium Ca 20 40 L. calx, lime. 1808 Davy
Californium Cf 98 251 U. of California, where it was discovered. discovered 1950 Thomson, Ghiorso, Street and Seaborg.
Carbon C 6 12 L carbo, charcoal. Prehistoric.
Cerium Ce 58 140 Ceres; asteroid of this name discovered in 1801. 1803 Klaproth, and Berzelius & Hisinger.
Chlorine Cl 17 35.5 Gk chloros, greenish-yellow. 1774 Scheele.
Chromium Cr 24 52 Gk chroma, colour. Its compounds are brightly coloured 1797 Vauquelin
Cobalt Co 27 59 Ger kobald, goblin; Gk cobalos, mine. 1735 Brandt.
Copper Cu 29 63.5 L cuprum, Cyprus. Prehistonc
Curium Cm 96 247 Pierre and Marie Curie. 1944 Seaborg, James and Ghiorso.
Dubnium Db 105   Dubna, where there is an important research institution  
Dysprosium Dy 66 163 Gk dysprositos, hard to get a 1886 Lecoq de Boisbaudran.
Einsteinium Es 99 254 Albert Einstein 1952 Ghiorso et al
Erbium Er 68 167 Ytterby, town in Sweden 1934 Klemm and Bommer
Europium Eu 63 152 Europe 1901 Demarcay.
Fermium Fm 100 253 Enrico Fermi. 1952 Ghiorso et al.
Fluorine F 9 19 L fluere, flow. Calcium fluoride is used in metallurgy as a flux. 1886 Moisson
Francium Fr 87 223 France 1939 Perey
Gadolinium Gd 64 157 Gadolinite, named for Gadolin, a Finnish chemist. 1886 Lecoq de Boisbaudran.
Gallium Ga 31 70 L gallus, a cock, Lecoq 1875 Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Germanium Ge 32 72.6 L Germania, Germany 1886 Winkler
Gold Au 79 197 Anglo-Saxon gold. Prehistoric.
Hafnium Hf 72 178.5 L Hafinia, Copenhagen 1923 Cofster and de Hevesy
Hahnium Ha 105   Otto Hahn 1970 Ghiorso et al
Hassium Hs 108 269    
Helium He 2 4 Gk helios, the Sun, where He was first found. 1868 Janssen
Holmium Ho 67 165 L Holmia, Stockholm; Cleve's native city. 1880 Cleve
Hydrogen H 1 1 Gk hvdro + genes, water forming 1766 Cavendish
Indium In 49 115 From the brilliant indigo line in its spectrum. ca 1920 Reich and Richter.
Iodine I 53 127 Gk iodes, like a violet; refers to the colour of its vapour. 1811 Courtois
Iridium Ir 77 192 L iris, rainbow 1803 Tennant
Iron Fe 26 55.8 Anglo-Saxon iron Prehistoric
Krypton Kr 36 83.8 Gk kryptos, hidden 1898 Ramsay and Travers
Kurchatovium or

Rutherfordium

Ku

Rf

104 139 I V Kurchatov

Ernest Rutherford

1964 USSR?

1969 Ghiorso

Lanthanum La 57 257 Gk lanthanein, to lie hidden 1923
Lawrencium Lr 103 207 E 0 Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron 1961 Ghiorso et al
Lead Pb 82 207 Anglo-Saxon lead Prehistoric
Lithium Li 3 7 Gk lithos, stone 1817 Arfvedson.
Lutetium Lu 71 175 Lutetia, Paris 1907 Urbain
Magnesium Mg 12 24 Magnesia, district in Thessaly 1808 Davy
Manganese Mn 25 55 L magnes, magnet 1774 Gahn
Meitnerium Mt 109 268 Lise Meitner, physicist  
Mendelevium Md 101 256 D I Mendeleev 1955 Ghiorso
Mercury Hg 80 200.6 Mercury; pres. because the metal moves quickly Hg Hvdrargyrum, silver water. Before 1500 BC
Molybdenum Mo 42 96 Gk molybdos, lead, with which it was originally confused. 1782 Hjelm
Neodymium Nd 60 144 Gk neos + didymos, new twin 1925
Neon Ne 10 20 Gk neos, new 1898 Ramsay and Travers.
Neptunium Np 93 237 Planet Neptune 1940 McMillan and Abelson
Nickel Ni 28 59 Ger kupfernickel, Old Nick's copper, the ore where it was first found. 1751 Cronstedt
Niobium Nb 41 93 Niobe, daughter of Tantalus 1801 Hatchett.
Nitrogen N 7 14 Gk nitron + genes, soda forming 1772 Daniel Rutherford
Nobelium No 102 254 Alfred Nobel 1958 Ghiorso et al.
Osmium Os 76 190 Gk osme, a smell 1803 Tennant
Oxygen 0 8 16 Gk oxys, sharp, + genes. ‘Acid-forming’ 1774 Priestley
Palladium Pd 46 106.4 Asteroid Pallas, discovered about the same time. 1803 Wollaston
Phosphorus P 15 31 Gk phosphoros, light-bearing. 1669 Brand
Platinum Pt 78 195 Sp platina, silver. 1735 Ulloa
Plutonium Pu 94 242 Planet Pluto 1940 Seaborg et al
Polonium Po 84 210 Poland, native country of Mme Curie 1898 M Curie
Potassium K 19 39 Engl potash, L kalium, Arab qali, alkali l807 Davy
Praseodymium Pr 59 141 Prasios + didymos, green twin: refers to spectral lines 1879 Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Promethium Pm 61 147 Prometheus. Pm appears not to exist naturally on the Earth 1942-45 Wu, Segre, Bethe et al.
Protactinium Pa 91 231 Gk protos, first 1913 Fajans and Gohring
Radium Ra 88 226 L radius, ray 1898 P & M Curie
Radon Rh 86 222 From radium 1900 Dorn
Rhenium Re 75 186 L rhenus, Rhine 1925 Noddack, Tacke & Berg.
Rhodium Rh 45 103 Gk rhodon, rose 1803 Wollaston
Rubidium Rb 37 85.5 L rubidus, deepest red, from its spectrum 1861 Bunsen & Kirchhoff.
Ruthenium Ru 44 101 L Ruthenia, Russia; found in Urals 1844 Klaus
Rutherfordium Rf 104   Sir Ernest Rutherford, founder of nuclear physics  
Samarium Sm 62 150.4 From Samarskite, a mineral. 1879 Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Scandium Sc 21 45 L Scandia, Scandinavia, where found 1878 Nilson
Seaborgium Sg 106 266 Glenn T Seaborg, nuclear chemist  
Selenium Se 34 79 Gk Selene, moon; found with Tellurium, q.v. 1817 Berzelius
Silicon Si 14 28 L silex, flint 1824 Berzelius
Silver Ag 47 107.9 Anglo-Saxon Seolfor siolfor Prehistoric
Sodium Na 11 23 Engl soda 1807 Davy
Strontium Sr 38 87.6 Strontian, a Scottish town 1808 Davy
Sulphur S 16 32 L sulphurium, Sanskr sulvere Prehistoric
Tantalum Ta 73 181 Gk Tantalos, father of Niobe; see Nb 1802 Ekeberg
Technetium Tc 43 99 Gk technetos, artificial. Not found on Earth (c.f. Pm) 1937 Perrier & Segre
Tellurium Te 52 127.6 L tellus, Earth. 1782 Muller von Reichenstein
Terbium Tb 65 159 Ytterby, village in Sweden 1843 Mosander
Thallium Tl 81 204 Gk thallos, a green shoot; from its spectrum. 1861 Crookes
Thorium Th 90 232 Thor.  
Thulium Tm 69 169 Thule, Scandinavia 1879 Cleve
Tin Sn 50 119 Anglo-Saxon tin Prehistoric
Titanium Ti 22 48 Gk Titans, first sons of the earth 1791 Gregor
Tungsten W 74 184 Swed. Tung sten, heavy stone 1783 de Elhuyar bros
Uranium U 92 238 Planet Uranus 1841 Peligot
Vanadium V 23 51 Scandinavian goddess Vanadis 1801 del Rio
Xenon Xe 54 131 Gk xenon, stranger 1898 Ramsay & Travers
Ytterbium Yb 70 173 Ytterby, village in Sweden 1937 Klemm and Bonner
Yttrium Y 39 89 Ytterby, village in Sweden 1794 Gadolin
Zinc Zn 30 65 Ger zink 13th cent, India
Zirconium Zr 40 91 Pers. zar-gun, gold-like 1824 Berzelius

The names of the elements have been set to music by Tom Lehrer - the tune is Gilbert & Sullivan's 'I am the very model of a modern major-general' from the Pirates of Penzance. It does not include the elements above Lawrencium - but of course Lehrer made provision for new discoveries in the song.  The words can be found on another page.

The best site I have come across so far concerning the Periodic Table is Mark Winter's superb web elements. It took him more than six years to write it.


Chemistry contents     Home Page