The origin of the symbol is given only if it differs from that of the name of the element.
| Element |
Symbol |
Origin |
| Actinium |
Ac |
Greek aktinos, meaning ray |
| Aluminium |
Al |
Latin alumen, meaning bitter salt |
| Americium |
Am |
Named for America, where it was first made |
| Antimony |
Sb |
Greek anti - monos, meaning not - alone; Latin stibium, the name of antimony sulfide in ancient times |
| Argon |
Ar |
Greek argos, meaning idle |
| Arsenic |
As |
Greek arsenikon, meaning yellow orpiment, a mineral |
| Astatine |
At |
Greek astatos, meaning unstable |
| Barium |
Ba |
Greek barys, meaning heavy |
| Berkelium |
Bk |
Named for the city of Berkeley, CA, where it was first made |
| Beryllium |
Be |
Greek beryllo, meaning beryl; originally glaucinium, Greek glykos meaning sweet |
| Bismuth |
Bi |
German Bisemuten, from Wismuth, from Weisse Masse, meaning white mass |
| Bohrium |
Bh |
Named for Niels Bohr, Danish atomic physicist |
| Boron |
Bo |
Arabic buraq, meaning borax; a combination of borax and carbon |
| Bromine |
Br |
Greek bromos, meaning stench |
| Cadmium |
Cd |
Latin cadmia, meaning mineral calamine |
| Caesium |
Cs |
Latin caesius; meaning sky blue |
| Calcium |
Ca |
Latin calx, meaning lime |
| Californium |
Cf |
Named for the University and State of California, where it was first made |
| Carbon |
C |
Latin carbo, meaning charcoal |
| Cerium |
Ce |
Named after the asteroid Ceres, which had been named after the Roman goddess of agriculture |
| Chlorine |
Cl |
Greek chloros, meaning greenish-yellow |
| Chromium |
Cr |
Greek chroma, meaning colour |
| Cobalt |
Co |
German kobald, meaning goblin |
| Copper |
Cu |
Old English coper, from Latin Cypreum aes |
| Curium |
Cm |
Named in honour of Pierre and Marie Curie |
| Darmstadtium |
Ds |
Named for Darmstadt, Germany, where it was first made |
| Dubnium |
Db |
Named for the Russian town Dubna, where the JINR is located |
| Dysprosium |
Dy |
Greek dysprositos, meaning hard to get |
| Einsteinium |
Es |
Named for Albert Einstein, meaning |
| Erbium |
Er |
Named for Ytterby, Sweden |
| Europium |
Eu |
Named after Europe |
| Fermium |
Fm |
Named for nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi |
| Fluorine |
F |
Latin fluere, meaning to flow |
| Francium |
Fr |
Named after France |
| Gadolinium |
Gd |
Named in honour of John Gadolin, who investigated gadolinite |
| Gallium |
Ga |
Latin Gallia, the name for France |
| Germanium |
Ge |
Latin Germania, the name for Germany |
| Gold |
Au |
Anglo-Saxon gold, from Latin geolo, meaning yellow; Au from Latin aureum, meaning glow of sunrise |
| Hafnium |
Hf |
Latin Hafnia, the name for Copenhagen |
| Hassium |
Hs |
Named for the German State of Hesse, where it was first made |
| Helium |
He |
Greek helios, meaning the Sun |
| Holmium |
Ho |
Latin Holmia , the name for Stockholm |
| Hydrogen |
H |
Greek hydro and genes, meaning water-forming |
| Indium |
In |
Latin indicum, meaning violet or indigo |
| Iodine |
I |
Greek iodes, meaning violet |
| Iridium |
Ir |
Named for Iris, Greek goddess of the rainbow |
| Iron |
Fe |
Anglo-Saxon iren; Fe, Latin ferrum, word for iron |
| Krypton |
Kr |
Greek kryptos, meaning hidden |
| Lanthanum |
La |
Greek lanthanein, meaning lie hidden |
| Lawrencium |
Lr |
Named for Ernest O. Lawrence, the inventor of thecyclotron |
| Lead |
Pb |
Anglo-Saxon lead; Pb, Latin plumbum, name for lead |
| Lithium |
Li |
Greek lithos, meaning stone |
| Lutetium |
Lu |
Latin Lutetia, Roman name for Paris |
| Magnesium |
Mg |
Named for Magnesia, a district of Greece |
| Manganese |
Mn |
Latin magnes, meaning magnet |
| Meitnerium |
Mt |
Named for Austrian physicist Lise Meitner |
| Mendelevium |
Md |
Named for Dimitri Mendeleyev, who produced one of the first periodic tables |
| Mercury |
Hg |
Named for the planet Mercury; Hg Latin hydrargyrum, meaning liquid silver |
| Molybdenum |
Mo |
Greek molybdos, meaning lead |
| Neodymium |
Nd |
Greek neo didymos, meaning new twin |
| Neon |
Ne |
Greek neos, meaning new |
| Neptunium |
Np |
Named for the planet Neptune |
| Nickel |
Ni |
German kupfernickel, meaning devil's copper or St. Nicholas' copper |
| Niobium |
Nb |
For Niobe in Greek mythology |
| Nitrogen |
N |
Greek nitron and genes, meaning nitre-forming |
| Nobelium |
No |
Named for Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel |
| Osmium |
Os |
Greek osme, meaning smell |
| Oxygen |
O |
Greek oxy and genes, meaning acid-forming |
| Palladium |
Pd |
For the asteroid Pallas; for the Greek goddess of wisdom |
| Phosphorus |
P |
Greek phosphoros, meaning bringer of light |
| Platinum |
Pt |
Spanish platina, meaning little silver |
| Plutonium |
Pu |
Named for the planet Pluto |
| Polonium |
Po |
Named for Poland |
| Potassium |
K |
From English potash; K from kalium Medieval Latin for potash |
| Praseodymium |
Pr |
Greek prasios didymos, meaning green twin |
| Promethium |
Pm |
Named for Prometheus, the Greek who stole fire from the gods |
| Protactinium |
Pa |
Greek protos, meaning first, as a prefix to the name actinium |
| Radium |
Ra |
Latin radius, meaning ray |
| Radon |
Rn |
Derived from radium |
| Rhenium |
Re |
Latin Rhenus, the name for the Rhine |
| Rhodium |
Rh |
Greek rhodon, meaning rose-coloured |
| Roentgenium |
Rg |
Named for the scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen |
| Rubidium |
Rb |
Latin rubidius, meaning deepest red |
| Ruthenium |
Ru |
Derived from Latin name for Russia |
| Rutherfordium |
Rf |
Named for New Zealand chemist Ernest Rutherford |
| Samarium |
Sm |
Named for samarskite, the mineral from which it was first extracted |
| Scandium |
Sc |
Latin Scandia, the name for Scandanavia |
| Seaborgium |
Sg |
Named for Glenn T. Seaborg, meaning |
| Selenium |
Se |
Greek Selene, the name for the Moon |
| Silicon |
Si |
Latin silex or silicia, meaning flint |
| Silver |
Ag |
Anglo-Saxon siolfur, the word for silver; Ag, Latin argentum, the word for silver |
| Sodium |
Na |
English word soda; Na, Latin natrium, meaning soda |
| Strontium |
Sr |
Named for the town of Strontian, Scotland |
| Sulfur |
S |
Sanskrit sulvere, or Latin sulfurium, both names for sulfur |
| Tantalum |
Ta |
Named for the Greek figure Tantalus, King of Sisyphus, in Lydia |
| Technetium |
Tc |
Greek tekhnetos, meaning artificial |
| Tellurium |
Te |
Latin tellus, meaning Earth |
| Terbium |
Tb |
Named for Ytterby, Sweden |
| Thallium |
Tl |
Greek thallos, meaning green twig |
| Thorium |
Th |
Named for Thor, Scandanavian god of war |
| Thulium |
Tm |
Derived from Thule, the ancient name for Scandanavia |
| Tin |
Sn |
Anglo-Saxon tin; Sn, Latin stannum, meaning hard |
| Titanium |
Ti |
Named for the Titans of Greek mythology |
| Tungsten |
W |
Swedish tung sten, meaning heavy stone; W from wolfram, the old name of the tungstenn mineral wolframite |
| Uranium |
U |
Named for the planet Uranus |
| Vanadium |
V |
Named for Vanadis, the Scandanavian goddess of beauty |
| Xenon |
Xe |
Greek zenos, meaning stranger |
| Ytterbium |
Yb |
Named for Ytterby, Sweden |
| Yttrium |
Y |
Named for Ytterby, Sweden |
| Zinc |
Zn |
German zink |
| Zirconium |
Zr |
Arabian zargun, meaning gold-coloured |
