PERIODIC TABLE

ACTINIUM

Ac - The name is derived from the Greek 'actinos', meaning a ray.

SILVER

Ag - The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name, 'siolfur'.

ALUMINIUM

Al - The name is derived from the Latin name for alum, 'alumen' meaning bitter salt.

AMERICIUM

Am - Americium is named for America where it was first made.

ARGON

Ar - The name is derived from the Greek, 'argos', meaning idle.

ARSENIC

As - The name is thought to come from 'arsenikon', the Greek name for the yellow pigment orpiment.

ASTATINE

At - The name comes from the Greek 'astatos', meaning unstable.

GOLD

Au - The name is the Anglo-Saxon word for the metal and the symbol comes from the Latin 'aurum', gold.

BORON

B - The name is derived form the Arabic 'buraq', which was the name for borax.

BARIUM

Ba - The name comes from the Greek 'barys', meaning heavy.

BERYLLIUM

Be - The name is derived from the Greek name for beryl, 'beryllo'.

BISMUTH

Bi - The name come from the German 'Bisemutum' a corruption of 'Weisse Masse' meaning white mass.

BERKELIUM

Bk - Berkelium was named after the town Berkeley, California, where it was first made.

BROMINE

Br - The name comes from the Greek 'bromos' meaning stench.

CARBON

C - The name is derived from the Latin 'carbo', charcoal

CALCIUM

Ca - The name is derived from the Latin 'calx' meaning lime.

CADMIUM

Cd - The name is derived from the Latin 'cadmia', the name for the mineral calmine.

CERIUM

Ce - Cerium is named for the asteroid, Ceres, which in turn was named after the Roman God of agriculture.

CHLORINE

Cl - The name is derived from the Greek 'chloros', meaning greenish yellow.

CURIUM

Cm - Curium is named in honour of Pierre and Marie Curie.

COBALT

Co - The name is derived from the German word 'kobald', meaning goblin.

CHROMIUM

Cr - The name is derived from the Greek 'chroma', meaning colour.

CAESIUM

Cs - The name comes from the Latin 'caesius', meaning sky blue, and derived from its flame colour.

COPPER

Cu - The name is derived from the Old English name 'coper' in turn derived from the Latin 'Cyprium aes', meaning a metal from Cyprus

DUBNIUM

Db - Dubnium is named for the Russian town Dubna.

DYPROSIUM

Dy - The name is derived from the Greek 'dysprositos', meaning hard to get.

ERBIUM

Er - Erbium is named after Ytterby, Sweden,

EUROPIUM

Eu - Europium is named after Europe

FLOURINE

F - The name is derived form the Latin 'fluere', meaning to flow

IRON

Fe - The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon name 'iren'.

FRANCIUM

Fr - Francium is named after France.

GALLIUM

Ga - The name is derived from the Latin name for France, 'Gallia'

GODOLINIUM

Gd - Gadolinium was named in honour of Johan Gadolin.

GERMANIUM

Ge - The name is derived from the Latin name for Germany, 'Germania'.

HYDROGEN

H - The name is derived from the Greek 'hydro' and 'genes' meaning water forming.

HELIUM

He - The name is derived from the Greek, 'helios' meaning sun, as it was in the suns corona that helium was first detected.

HAFNIUM

Hf - The name is derived from the Latin name for Copenhagen, 'Hafnia'

MERCURY

Hg - Mercury is named after the planet, Mercury.

HOLMIUM

Ho - The name is derived from the Latin name for Stockholm, 'Holmia'.

IODINE

I - The name is derived from the Greek 'iodes' meaning violet.

INDIUM

In - The name comes from the Latin 'indicium', meaning violet or indigo.

IRIDIUM

Ir - The name is derived from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.

POTASSIUM

K -

KRYPTON

Kr - The name is derived from the Greek 'kryptos', meaning hidden.

LANTHANUM

La - The name is derived from the Greek 'lanthanein', meaning to lie hidden.

LITHIUM

Li - The name is derived from the Greek 'lithos' meaning stone.

LUTETIUM

Lu - The name derives from the Romans' name for Paris, 'Lutetia'.

MAGNESIUM

Mg - The name is derived from Magnesia, a district of Eastern Thessaly in Greece.

MANGANESE

Mn - The derivation of Manganese may have come from one of two routes: either from the Latin 'magnes', meaning magnet, or from the black magnesium oxide, 'magnesia nigra'.

MOLYBDENUM

Mo - The name is derived from the Greek 'molybdos' meaning lead.

NITROGEN

N - The name is derived from the Greek 'nitron' and 'genes' meaning nitre forming.

SODIUM

Na - The name is derived from the English word 'soda'.

NIOBIUM

Nb - The name comes from Niobe from Greek mythology, who was the daughter of king Tantalus. This was chosen because of niobium's chemical similarity to tantalum

NEODYMIUM

Nd - The name is derived from the Greek 'neos didymos' meaning new twin.

NEON

Ne - The name comes from the Greek 'neos', meaning new.

NICKEL

Ni - The name is the shortened for of the German 'kupfernickel' meaning either devil's copper or St. Nicholas's copper.

NEPTUNIUM

Np - Neptunium was named after the planet Neptune.

OXYGEN

O - The name comes from the Greek 'oxy genes', meaning acid forming.

OSMIUM

Os - The name is derived from the Greek word 'osme', meaning smell.

PHOSPHORUS

P - The name is derived from the Greek 'phosphoros', meaning bringer of light.

PROTACTINIUM

Pa - The name is derived from the Greek 'protos', meaning first, as a prefix to the element actinium, which is produced through the radioactive decay of proactinium.

LEAD

Pb - The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for the metal, 'lead'

PALLADIUM

Pd - Palladium is named after the asteroid Pallas, in turn named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas.

PROMETHIUM

Pm - Promethium is named after Prometheus of Greek mythology who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humans.

POLONIUM

Po - Polonium is named after Poland, the native country of Marie Curie, who first isolated the element.

PRASEODYMIU

Pr - The name is derived from the Greek 'prasios didymos' meaning green twin.

PLATINUM

Pt - The name is derived from the Spanish 'platina', meaning little silver.

PLUTONIUM

Pu - Plutonium, is named after the then planet Pluto, following from the two previous elements uranium and neptunium.

RADIUM

Ra - The name is derived from the Latin 'radius', meaning ray.

RUBIDIUM

Rb - The name is derived form the Latin 'rubidius', meaning deepest red.

RHENIUM

Re - The name is derived from the Latin name for the Rhine, 'Rhenus'.

RUTHERFORDIUM

Rf - Rutherfordium is named in honour of New Zealand Chemist Ernest Rutherford, one of the first to explain the structure of atoms.

RHODIUM

Rh - The name is derived from the Greek 'rhodon', meaning rose coloured.

RADON

Rn - The name is derived from radium, as it was first detected as an emission from radium during radioactive decay.

RUTHENIUM

Ru - The name is derived from 'Ruthenia', the Latin name for Russia

SULFUR

S - The name is derived either from the Sanskrit 'sulvere', or the Latin 'sulfurium'.

ANTIMONY

Sb - The name derives from the Greek 'anti - monos', meaning not alone

SCANDIUM

Sc - The name derives from 'Scandia', the Latin name for Scandinavia.

SELENIUM

Se - The name is derived from 'selene', the Greek name for the Moon.

SEABORGIUM

Sg - Seaborgium is named for Glenn T. Seaborg, who was instrumental in producing several transuranium elements.

SILICON

Si - The name is derived from the Latin 'silex' or 'silicis', meaning flint.

SAMARIUM

Sm - The name is derived from samarskite, the name of the mineral from which it was first isolated.

TIN

Sn - The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'tin'

STRONTIUM

Sr - Strontium is named after Strontian, a small town in Scotland.

TANTALUM

Ta - The name is derived from the legendary Greek figure King Tantalus.

TERBIUM

Tb - Terbium was named after Ytterby, Sweden.

TECHNETIUM

Tc - The name is derived from the Greek 'tekhnetos' meaning artificial.

TELLURIUM

Te - The name is derived from the Latin 'tellus', meaning Earth.

THORIUM

Th - Thorium is named after Thor, the Scandinavian god of war.

TITANIUM

Ti - The name is derived from the Titans, the sons of the Earth goddess of Greek mythology.

THALLIUM

Tl - Thallium is derived from the Greek 'thallos', meaning a green twig.

THULIUM

Tm - The name comes from Thule, the ancient name for Scandinavia.

URANIUM

U - Uranium was named after the planet Uranus.

VANADIUM

V - The element is named after 'Vanadis', the old Norse name for the Scandinavian goddess Freyja.

TUNGSTEN

W - The name is derived from the Swedish 'tung sten' meaning heavy stone.

XENON

Xe - The name is derived from the Greek 'xenos' meaning stranger.

YTTRIUM

Y - Yttrium is named after Ytterby, Sweden.

YTTERBIUM

Yb - Ytterbium is named after Ytterby, Sweden.

ZINC

Zn - The name is derived from the German, 'zinc', which may in turn be derived from the Persian word 'sing', meaning stone.

ZIRCONIUM

Zr - The name is derived form the Arabic, 'zargun', meaning gold coloured.