Elementymology

1.1 Elements, metals, known to mankind since prehistoric times. The main characteristic of the names of these elements, is the "chaos". Since the names are so old, all languages have their own words (even the roots in the Roman, Germanic, and Slavic languages are often different). An overview of these names in many languages is on a special page, click here.: 26 Ferrum iron; 29 Cuprum copper; 47 Argentum silver; 50 Stannum tin; 79 Aurum gold; 82 Plumbum lead
1.2 Elements, recognized as such since Roman times up to the 16th/17th centuries. The names are derived from the ore or the combination in which the element is the main component. Although different languages sometimes use names from different roots, there is a less chaotic situation then in group 1.1.: 6 Carbonium carbon; 16 Sulphurium sulphur; 33 Arsenicum arsenic; 51 Stibium antimony; 80 Hydrargyrum mercury; 83 Bisemutum bismuth

2.1 Various names, not based on a Latin or Latinized word. In most languages the names are unaltered.: 1500 30 Zinc Marggraf; 1735 27 Cobalt Brandt; 1751 28 Nickel Cronstedt; 1783 74 Wolfram de Elhuyar
2.2 Elements named after a combination in which the element is the main component.: 1707 4 Beryllium Vauquelin; 1789 40 Zirconium Klaproth; 1807 11 Natrium Davy; 1807 19 Kalium potassium Davy; 1808 5 Borium Davy and Gay-Lussac c.s.; 1808 20 Calcium Davy; 1817 48 Cadmium Strohmeyer zinc carbonate; 1817 6 Lithium Arfwedson stone; 1825 13 Aluminium Oersted; 1824 14 Silicium Jacob Berzelius flint

2.3

Elements named after other elements

1735 78 Platinum Antonio de Ulloa silver

1781 42 Molybdenum Scheele lead

1900 86 Radon Dorn radium

1913 91 Protactinium Hahn & Meitner the first after actinium

3.1 Chemical properties: 1772 7 Nitrogenium Rutherford making soda; 1774 8 Oxygenium Scheele and Priestley making acid; 1776 1 Hydrogenium Cavendish making water; 1894 18 Argon Ramsay & Rayleigh inactive; 1940 85 Astatium Dale Corson a.o. unstable
3.2 Physical properties: 1669 15 Phosphorus Brand luminous; 1774 25 Manganese Gahn magnetic; 1808 56 Barium Davy heavy; 1886 9 Fluorine Moissan to stream; 1898 88 Radium Curie beam; 1899 89 Actinium Debierne ray
3.3 Colour of the element, its vapour, or salts: 1774 17 Chlorine Scheele green yellow; 1797 24 Chromium Vauquelin colour; 1803 45 Rhodium Wollaston rose; 1803 77 Iridium Fourcroy a.o. rainbow; 1811 53 Iodium Courtois violet
3.4 Colour in the spectrum: 1860 55 Cesium Kirchhoff & Bunsen blue; 1861 37 Rubidium Bunsen & Kirchhoff deep red; 1861 81 Thallium Crookes green shoot; 1863 49 Indium Reich & Richter indigo
3.5 Odour: 1803 76 Osmium Tennant smelling; 1826 35 Bromium Balard stench
3.6 Availability: 1839 57 Lanthanium Mosander be hidden; 1886 66 Dysprosium Lecoq de Boisbaudran hard to obtain; 1898 36 Krypton Ramsay & Travers hidden; 1898 54 Xenon Ramsay & Travers strange; 1937 43 Technetium Perrier & Segre artificial

4.1 Towns and regions: 1787/90 38 Strontium Cruikshank & Crawford Strontian (Scotland); 1794 39 Yttrium Gadolin Ytterby (Sweden); 1808 12 Magnesium Davy Magnesia (Greece); 1842 68 Erbium Mosander Ytterby (Sweden); 1843 65 Terbium Mosander Ytterby (Sweden); 1844 44 Ruthenium Klaus Ruthenia; 1867 67 Holmium Soret and Delafontaine Stockholm; 1875 31 Gallium Lecoq de Boisbaudran France; 1878 70 Ytterbium de Marignac Ytterby (Sweden); 1879 21 Scandium Nilson Scandinavia; 1879 69 Thulium Cleve Thule = Scandinavia; 1886 32 Germanium Winkler Germany; 1898 84 Polonium Curie Poland; 1901 63 Europium Demarcay Europe; 1907 71 Lutetium Urbain Paris; 1923 72 Hafnium Coster & von Hevesy Copenhague; 1925 75 Rhenium Noddack a.o. Rhine; 1939 87 Francium Perey France; 1944 95 Americium Seaborg a.o. America; 1949 97 Berkelium Seaborg a.o. Berkeley; 1950 98 Californium Seaborg a.o. California; 1967 105 Dubnium Dubna Dubna; 1984 108 Hassium Armbruster a.o. Hessen
4.2 Celestial bodies: 80 Hydrargyrum mercury Mercurius (planet); 1783 52 Tellurium Müller von Reichenstein Earth; 1789 92 Uranium Klaproth Uranus (planet); 1803 46 Palladium Wollaston Pallas (astroid); 1803 58 Cerium von Hisinger Ceres (astroid); 1817 34 Selenium Berzelius Moon; 1895 2 Helium Langley & Cleve Sun; 1940 93 Neptunium McMillan a.o. Neptunus (planet); 1940 94 Plutonium Seaborg a.o. Pluto planet)

5.1 Mythological figures: 1791 22 Titanium Gregor the Titans; 1801 23 Vanadium Sefström Vanadia; 1801 41 Niobium Hatchett Niobe; 1802 73 Tantalum Ekeberg Tantalos; 1829 90 Thorium Berzelius Thor; 1945 61 Promethium Marinsky a.o. Prometheus
5.2 Named after minerals which were named after persons: 1879 62 Samarium Lecoq de Boisbaudran Col. Samarski (via the mineral samarskite); 1880 64 Gadolinium de Marignac Gadolin (via the mineral gadolinite)
5.3 Scientists: 1944 96 Curium Glenn T. Seaborg a.o. Pierre & Marie Curie; 1952 99 Einsteinium Ghiorgio a.o. Albert Einstein; 1952 100 Fermium Ghiorgio a.o. Enrico Fermi; 1955 101 Mendelevium Glenn T. Seaborg a.o. Dmitri Mendeleev; 1957 102 Nobelium Nobel Institute for Physics Alfred Nobel; 1961 103 Lawrencium Albert Ghiorso a.o. Ernest O. Lawrence; 1967 104 Rutherfordium Ghiorso a.o. Ernest R. Rutherford; 1974 106 Seaborgium Albert Ghiorso a.o. Glenn T. Seaborg; 1981 107 Bohrium Peter Armbruster a.o. Niels Bohr; 1982 109 Meitnerium Peter Armbruster a.o. Lise Meitner

1898 9 Neon Ramsay & Travers new

1885 59 Praseodymium Carl F. Auer von Welsbach

1885 60 Neodymium Carl F. Auer von Welsbach

You can use also the access via alphabetical lists of element names in 68 languages.

Elements arranged after their name origin