Element Symbol Latin Name

Antimony Sb Stibium
Copper Cu Cuprum
Gold Au Aurum
Iron Fe Ferrum
Lead Pb Plumbum
Mercury Hg Hydragyrum
Potassium K Kalium
Silver Ag Argentum
Sodium Na Natrium
Tin Sn Stannum
Tungsten W Wolfram

curium (Cm, 96) Pierre and Marie Curie
einsteinium (Es, 99) Albert Einstein
fermium (Fm, 100) Enrico Fermi
gallium (Ga, 31) both named after Gallia (Latin for France)
and its discoverer, Lecoq de Boisbaudran (le coq, the French
word for 'rooster' translates to gallus in Latin)
hahnium (105) Otto Hahn (Dubnium, named for Dubna in
Russia, is the IUPAC-accepted name for element 105)
lawrencium (Lr, 103) Ernest Lawrence
meitnerium (Mt, 109) Lise Meitner
mendelevium (Md, 101) Dmitri Mendeleev
nobelium (No, 102) Alfred Nobel
roentgenium (Rg, 111) Wilhelm Roentgen (formerly
Ununumium)
rutherfordium (Rf, 104) Ernest Rutherford
seaborgium (Sg, 106) Glenn T. Seaborg

1. Elements named after Countries or Places
Americium Am Made in 1945 at Chicago USA
Berkelium Bk Made in 1950 at the University of California, Berkeley, USA
Californium Cf Made in 1950 at the University of California, Berkeley, USA
Copper Cu
The Romans were the biggest users of copper. Their source of copper
was the island of Cyprus. Their name for the island was "Cyprium". They
called the metal "Aes Cyprium" - metal of Cyprus. The name became
shortened to Cyprium which then became "Cuprum" from which copper
gains its modern day symbol.
Francium Fr Discovered in 1939 at the Curie Institute, Paris, France.
Gallium Ga Named after the Latin name for France - Gallia
Germanium Ge Discovered in 1886 by a German Chemist - Winkler.
Polonium Po Discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie, who was Polish.
Scandium Sc Discovered and mined in Scandinavia
Strontium Sr
Named after Strontian, a small village in the Western Highlands of
Scotland.

2. Elements named after Heavenly Bodies
Helium He
From the Greek word "Helios" - the Sun. In 1868 during an eclipse of the
Sun, Scientists observed a spectral line caused by an unknown element.
They named the element Helium. Twenty seven years later in 1895, the
element was discovered on Earth.
Neptunium Np
Named after the planet Neptune. Find the position of the three planets
Neptune, Pluto and Uranus in the Solar system. Now find the position in
the Periodic Table of the three elements named after these planets...
Plutonium Pu Named after the planet Pluto
Uranium U
Named after the planet Uranus. The element was discovered in 1789,
shortly after the discovery of the planet.

3. Elements named from Mythology
Tantalum Ta
Named after the Greek mythological king, Tantalus. It was discovered in
1802 and great difficulties were encountered in dissolving its oxide in acid
to form salts. It proved to be a tantalising problem!
Niobium Nb
Named after Princess Niobe, the daughter of King Tantalus. According to
legend, father and daughter were always found together and were very
much alike. The two elements Niobium and Tantalum are usually found
together in nature and their properties are very similar. Niobium was
discovered in North America in 1801 and was originally named
Columbium. It was renamed in 1844 after the connections with tantalum
was realised. Find the positions of both elements in the periodic table
Thorium Th
Named after Thor, the Scandinavian God of War and Thunder. It was
discovered and named in 1828. Coincidentally, thorium is used today as
a nuclear fuel in nuclear weapons and reactors.
Titanium Ti
Named after Titans, the Greek supermen. Titanium is an extremely strong
metal which resists attack by acids.
Vanadium V
Named after Vandis, the Scandinavian Goddess of Beauty. The salts of
vanadium have beautiful colours.

4. Names that describe their Properties
Argon Ar
From the Greek word "argos" which means idle or lazy. Argon is one of
the laziest, least reactive elements of all.
Bromine Br
From the Greek word "bromos" which means stench. Bromine has an
unpleasant smell.
Chlorine Cl
From the Greek word "chloros" which means green. Chlorine is a green
gas.
Cobalt Co
From the German word "kobold" which means goblin or evil spirit.
Miners working in the cobalt mines sometimes died unexpectedly. For
this reason the miners thought that the mines contained evil spirits. The
real reason for these unexpected deaths was that cobalt ores usually
contained highly poisonous arsenic. Dust from the ore probably got on
their food or was breathed in, causing sudden deaths.
Hydrogen H
From the Greek words "hydro" and "genes" which mean water and
forming. When hydrogen burns in the air, it forms water.
Iodine I
From the Greek word :iodos" which means violet. Iodine is a grey solid
at room temperature. It gives off a violet coloured vapour when warmed.
Nickel Ni
From the German word "kupfernickel" which means "Old Nick's Copper"
or "False Copper". Salts of nickel resemble salts of copper. When nickel
ore was first mined, the miners thought the ore was copper. They were
mystified when the ore was smelted to give a silvery metal (nickel) and
not red copper metal as had been expected. They called this metal
"Devil's Copper" - Kupfernickel.
Oxygen O
From the Greek words "oxy" and "genes" meaning acid forming. Most
non-metals burn in oxygen to form acids eg. sulphur.
Phosphorous P
From the Greek word "phosphorus" which means "light bearing". It was
also the ancient name for the planet Venus, usually the brightest "star" in
the night sky. Phosphorous glows in the dark and catches fire in the air
to give a bright flame.
Radium Ra
From the Latin word "radius" which means "ray of light". Radium was
discovered in 1898 by Pierre and Marie Curie. It gives out invisible and
dangerous radiation ie. it is radioactive. When concentrated, radium
glows in the dark.

5. Elements named after Famous Scientists
Curium Cm
Made in 1944 at Chicago. It was named in honour of Marie and Pierre
Curie.
Einsteinium Es
Made in 1952 at the University of California. It was named in honour of
Albert Einstein.
Lawrencium Lw
All of the man-made elements have been made as a result of the
Nuclear Age. The majority of these elements were made at the
University of California USA, in a machine called the Cyclotron. The
Cyclotron was invented by Professor Ernest Lawrence. Lawrencium was
made at the University of California in 1961 and named in his honour.
Mendelevium Md
Made in 1955 at the University of California. It was named after a world
famous Russian Chemist Dimitri Mendeleef.
- See more at: http://www.nexusresearchgroup.com/fun-science/the-elements.htm#sthash.IJsF2l5Q.dpuf



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1
7
18
1
H

He
Hydr
ogen
Heliu
m
2
Li Be

B C N O F Ne
Lithi
um
Beryll
ium
Boron
Carbo
n
Nitrog
en
Oxygen
Fluor
ine
Neon
3
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
Sodiu
m
Magn
esium
Alumi
num
Silico
n
Phosp
horus
Sulfur
Chlor
ine
Argon
4
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
Potas
sium
Calciu
m
Scan
dium
Titaniu
m
Vanadi
um
Chromi
um
Manga
nese
Iron Cobalt Nickel
Coppe
r
Zinc
Galliu
m
Germa
nium
Arseni
c
Seleniu
m
Brom
ine
Krypto
n
5
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
Rubi
dium
Stront
ium
Yttri
um
Zirconi
um
Niobiu
m
Molybd
enum
Techne
tium
Ruthen
ium
Rhodiu
m
Pallad
ium
Silver
Cadm
ium
Indiu
m
Tin
Antim
ony
Telluri
um
Iodin
e
Xenon
6
Cs Ba * Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
Cesiu
m
Bariu
m

Hafniu
m
Tantalu
m
Tungste
n
Rheniu
m
Osmiu
m
Iridium
Platin
um
Gold
Merc
ury
Thalli
um
Lead
Bismu
th
Poloniu
m
Astat
ine
Radon
7
Fr Ra ** Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt
Uu
n
Uu
u
Uu
b

Franc
ium
Radiu
m

Unnilqu
adium
Unnilp
entium
Unnilhe
xium
Unnilse
ptium
Unnilo
ctium
Unnile
nnium
Ununn
ilium
Ununu
nium
Unun
bium

* La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

Lanthan
um
Cerium
Praseod
ymium
Neody
mium
Promet
hium
Samari
um
Europi
um
Gadoli
nium
Terbi
um
Dyspr
osium
Holmi
um
Erbiu
m
Thuliu
m
Ytter
bium
Lutetiu
m
** Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr

Actiniu
m
Thoriu
m
Protacti
nium
Uraniu
m
Neptu
nium
Plutoni
um
Ameri
cium
Curiu
m
Berke
lium
Califo
rnium
Einste
inium
Fermi
um
Mendel
evium
Nobe
lium
Lawre
ncium
Element Groups (Families)
Alkali Earth Alkaline Earth Transition Metals
Rare Earth Other Metals Metalloids
Non-Metals Halogens Noble Gases