Origins of Elemental Names

Actinium Greek "aktis meaning beam or ray"

Aluminum Latin "alumen"
Americium After the Americas
Antimony Latin "stibbum meaning mark"
Argon Greek "argon"
Arsenic Greek "arsenikos" meaning male from the belief that metals were different sexes.
Astantine Greek "astatos" meaning unstable
Barium Greek "barys" meaning heavy
Berkelium Berkeley, home of the University of California
Beryllium Greek "beryl" meaning sweet
Bismuth German "weisse masse" meaning white mass
Bromine Greek "bromos" meaning stench
Cadmium Latin "cadmia" ancient name for calamine, a mineral
Calcium Latin "calx" meaning lime or limestone
Californium Named after the State and University of California
Carbon Latin "carbos" meaning charcoal
Cerium Named after the asteroid Ceres which was discovered 2 years before this element.
Cesium Latin "caesius" meaning sky blue
Chlorine Greek "chloros" meaning greenish-yellow
Chromium Greek "chroma" meaning colour
Cobalt German "kobold" meaning goblin or evil spirit
Copper Latin "cuprum" named for an island off the coast of Cypress
Curium Named after Marie and Pierre Curie
Dysprosium Greek "dysprositos" meaning 'hard to get at!'
Einsteinium Named after Albert Einstein
Erbium A town in Sweden
Europium Named after Europe
Fermium Named after Enrico Fermi
Fluorine Latin "fluere" meaning flow or flux
Francium Named after France
Gadolinium Named after Gadolin, a Fininsh chemist
Gallium Latin "gallia" meaning France
Germanium Latin "germania" meaning germany
Gold Latin "arum" meaning 'shining dawn'
Hafnium From Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen
Helium Greek "helios" meaning 'the sun' where helium was first found
Holmium Latin "holmia" the Latin name of Stockholm
Hydrogen Greek "hyro" meaning water and "genes" meaning forming
Indium From the brillant indigo line in it's spectrum
Iodine Greek "iodes" meaning violet
Iridium Latin "iris" meaning rainbow
Iron Latin "ferrum" meaning grey
Krypton Greek "kryptos" meaning hidden
Lanthanum Greek "lantanein" meaning to,'lie hidden'
Lawrencium After E.O. Lawrence
Lead Latin "plumbum"
Lithium Greek "lithos" meaning stone
Lutetium From the name Lutetia, the ancient name for Paris
Magnesium From the word Magnesia which is a district in Thessaly
Manganese Latin "magnes" meaning magnet
Mendelevium After Dmitri Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table
Mercury Latin "hydrogyrum" meaning 'liquid silver' and after the planet Mercury
Molybdenum Greek "molybdos" meaning 'lead'
Neodymium Greek "neos" meaning 'new" and "didymus" meaning 'twin'
Neon Greek "neo" meaning 'new'
Neptunium After the planet Neptune
Nickel German "nickel" referring to Satan or 'Old Nick'
Niobium After 'Niobe' daughter of Tantalus in Greek mythology
Nobelium Named after Alfred Nobel, creator of the Nobel Peace Prize
Osmium Greek "osme" meaning smell
Oxygen Greek "oxys" meaning 'sharp or acid' and "genes" meaning 'forming'
Palladium Named after the asteroid 'Pallus'
Phosphorus Greek "phosphoros" meaning light-bearing, ancient name for the planet Venus
Platinum Spanish "platina" meaning silver
Plutonium After the planet Pluto
Polonium After Poland
Praseodymium Greek "prasios" meaning 'green' and "Didymus" meaning 'twin'
Promethium After Prometheus, who according to Greek mythology stole fire from the Gods on M
Protactinium Greek "protos" meaning 'first'
Radium Latin "radius" meaning 'ray'
Radon Derived from the name radium
Rhenium Latin "rhenus" meaning 'The Rhine'
Rhodium Greek "rhodon" meaning 'rose'
Rubidium Latin "ribidus" meaning 'deepest red'
Ruthenium Latin "Ruthenia" meaning 'Russia'
Samarium Named after the mineral 'samarskite'
Scandium Latin "Scandia" referring to Scandanavia
Selenium Greek "selena" meaning 'moon'
Silicon Latin "silex" meaning 'flint'
Silver Latin "argentum" meaning 'silver'
Sodium Latin "sodanum", a headache remedy
Strontium Named after Strontion, a Scottish town
Sulphur Latin "sulphurium" meaning 'brimstone'
Tantalum Greek "Tantalos", Father of Niobe
Technetium Greek "technetos" meaning 'artificial'
Tellurium Latin "tellus" meaning 'earth'
Terbium A village in Sweden
Thallium Greek "thallus" meaning 'a green shoot or twig'
Thorium Named after 'thor', the Scandanavian God of War
Thulium Named after 'Thule', the most ancient name of Scandanavia
Tin Latin "stannum" meaning 'tin'
Titanium Latin "titan", the first sons of the Earth
Tungsten Swedish "tung sten" meaning 'heavy stone'
Uranium After the planet Uranus
Vanadium After the Scandanavian Goddess Vanadis
Ytterbium After Ytterby, a village in Sweden
Yttrium Same as above
Zinc German "Zink" meaning 'of obscure origin'
Zirconium Arabic "zargun" meaning 'gold colour