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Elements named after places

Geographic features have inspired the names of more than two dozen elements. Some honour the country of the discoverer (gallium for France, germanium for Germany, francium for France again), others mark a continent or region (europium, americium), and a few point to the specific mine, village or research site where the element first appeared (yttrium, terbium, erbium and ytterbium all trace back to the Swedish village of Ytterby). This page lists every element with a toponymic name.

Back to name origins

Name source

Mineral Astronomical body Mythology Person Place Properties

Language of origin

Greek Latin Russian English German Swedish Japanese Anglo-Saxon Spanish Norse Arabic
No. Symbol Element Original word Meaning Language Named by
12 Mg Magnesium Magnesia Magnesia district Greek Humphry Davy (1812)
21 Sc Scandium Scandia Scandinavia Latin
29 Cu Copper cuprum From Cyprus Latin
31 Ga Gallium Gallia France / Gaul Latin
32 Ge Germanium Germania Germany Latin
38 Sr Strontium Strontian Strontian village English Humphry Davy (1808)
39 Y Yttrium Ytterby Ytterby Swedish
44 Ru Ruthenium Ruthenia Russia Latin
63 Eu Europium Europe Europe Greek
65 Tb Terbium Ytterby Ytterby Swedish
67 Ho Holmium Holmia Holmia (Stockholm) Latin Per Teodor Cleve (1879)
68 Er Erbium Ytterby Ytterby Swedish
69 Tm Thulium Thule Thule (northern lands) Greek
70 Yb Ytterbium Ytterby Ytterby Swedish
71 Lu Lutetium Lutetia Paris (Lutetia) Latin Georges Urbain (1907)
72 Hf Hafnium Hafnia Copenhagen (Hafnia) Latin
75 Re Rhenium Rhenus Rhine river Latin
84 Po Polonium Polonia Poland Latin Pierre Curie, Marie Curie
87 Fr Francium Francia France Latin
95 Am Americium America America English
97 Bk Berkelium Berkeley Berkeley English
98 Cf Californium California California English
105 Db Dubnium Dubna Dubna Russian
108 Hs Hassium Hassia Hesse (state) Latin GSI
110 Ds Darmstadtium Darmstadt Darmstadt German GSI
113 Nh Nihonium Nihon Japan Japanese RIKEN
115 Mc Moscovium Moscow Moscow English JINR, LLNL, ORNL, Vanderbilt University
116 Lv Livermorium Livermore Livermore Lab English JINR, LLNL
117 Ts Tennessine Tennessee Tennessee English JINR, LLNL, ORNL, Vanderbilt University