Element Names and Their Origins

Element Names

• The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is responsible for approving the official names of elements.
• Elements are named based on their properties, discovery, or the scientist who discovered them.
• Some elements are named after:
  • Mythological figures (e.g., Titanium, Tantalum)
  • Places (e.g., Francium, Germanium)
  • Properties (e.g., Oxygen, Iodine)
  • Scientists (e.g., Curium, Rutherfordium)
• Elements with atomic numbers 1-10 have Latin roots:
  • Hydrogen (hydrogenium)
  • Helium (helium)
  • Lithium (lithium)
  • ...and so on
• Elements with atomic numbers 11-30 have Latin roots with Greek prefixes:
  • Sodium (natrium)
  • Magnesium (magnesium)
  • Aluminum (aluminium)
  • ...and so on
• Elements with atomic numbers 31-103 have a combination of Latin and Greek roots:
  • Germanium (germanium)
  • Arsenic (arsenicum)
  • Selenium (selenium)
  • ...and so on
• Elements with atomic numbers 104 and above have temporary names based on their atomic number:
  • Unnilquadium (104)
  • Unnilpentium (105)
  • ...and so on

Learn about the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) guidelines for naming elements, including their origins, properties, and discoverers. Explore the Latin and Greek roots of element names and how they are categorized.