CBSE Class 9/10 - Science - All about Names of the Chemical Elements

All about Names of the Chemical Elements

1. There are 115 chemical elements known today to the world. Only 90 are found in nature and the rest are artificially created.

2. A good number of elements are named after human beings and mythological figures.



3. Many common element have their names derived from their Latin or Greek names.

4. Elements have been named after heavenly bodies, countries, cities, colours and their properties.

5. According to IUPAC standard, newly discovered elements must have names ending with "ium".

6. Element Names after Gods and Goddesses

God or Goddess	Element Name
Goblin	Cobalt
Titans	Titanium
Thor	Thorium
Prometheus	Promethium
Vanadis (Frejya)	Vanadium
Niobe	Niobium
Tantalos	Tantalum

7. Element Names after Heavenly Bodies (Planets, Dwarf Planets etc.) Few are the names of God and Goddesses also. e.g. Ceres - a dwarf planet - named after Roman god of agriculture.

Heavenly Body	Element Name
Sun	Helium
Sun (Aurum)	Gold (Au)
Neptune	Neptunium
Pluto	Plutonium
Earth (tellus)	Tellurium
Moon	Selenium
Moon (Argentum)	Silver(Ag)
Uranus	Uranium
Ceres	Cerium
Mercury (Hydragium)	Mercury (Hg)
Mars (Ferrum)	Iron (Fe)
Venus (Cuprum)	Copper (Cu)
Saturn (Plumbum)	Lead (Pb)
Jupiter (Stanum)	Tin (Sn)

8. Element Names after Countries or Cities or Places

Country/City	Element Name
America	Americium
Cyprus	Copper
Europe	Europium
France (Gaul)	Francium, Gallium
Germany	Germanium
Scandinavia	Scandium
Poland	Polonium
Russia (Ruthenia)	Ruthenium
California, USA	Californium
Magnesia (Greece)	Magnesium
Hess, Germany	Hassium
Rhine, Germany	Rhenium
Darmstadt, Germany	Darmstadium
Stockholm (Holmia)	Holmium
Ytterby, Sweden	Yttrium, Ytterbium, Erbium, Terbium
Dubna, Russia	Dubnium
Copenhagen (Hafnia)	Hafnium
Paris (Lutetia)	Lutetium
Berkeley, USA	Berkelium

9. After Scientists

Name of the Scientist	Element Name
Albert Einstein	Einstenium
Marie Curie	Curium
Niels Bohr	Bohrium
Mendeleyev	Mendelevium
Alfred Nobel	Nobelium
Rutherford	Rutherfordium
Enrico Fermi	Fermium
Roentgen	Roentgenium
Gadolin	Gadolinium
Seaborg	Seaborgium
Lawrence	Lawrencium
Meitner	Meitnerium

10. Elements named after properties

Property or Feature	Element Name
Water Forming (hydros + geinomai)	Hydrogen
Acid Forming (oxys + geinomai)	Oxygen
Nitre Forming (nitron/soda + geinomai)	Nitrogen
To Flow (Fluere)	Fluorine
Magnetic (magnes)	Manganese
Inactive (argos)	Argon
Stranger/Unknown (xenon)	Xenon
Hidden (kryptos)	Krypton
Artificial (technetos)	Technetium
Unstable (astatos)	Astatine
Stench (bromos)	Bromine
Not Alone (anti + monos)	Antimony
Heavy (barys)	Barium
Hard to obtain (dysprositos)	Dysprosium
Smell (osme)	Osmium
To lie hidden (lanthanein)	Lanthanum

11. Named after colours and appearances

Colour	Element Name
Colour (chroma)	Chromium
Deep Red (rubidus)	Rubidium
Rainbow (iris)	Iridium
Rose (rhodon)	Rhodium
Pale Green (chloros)	Chlorine
White (wiesse masse)	Bismuth
Golden Yellow (zargun)	Zirconium
Indigo	Indium
Violet (iodes)	Iodine
Yellow orpiment (arsenicum)	Arsenic
Green Twig (thallos)	Thallium
Sky blue (caesius)	Caesium

12. Elements are named after minerals

Mineral	Element Name
Charcoal (carbo)	Carbon
Stone (lithos)	Lithium
Lime (calx)	Calcium
Earth (tellus)	Tellurium
Calamine (cadmia)	Cadmium
Devil's Copper (kupfernickel)	Nickel
Alum (alumen)	Aluminium
Heavy Stone (tungs sten)	Tungsten
Samarskite	Samarium

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