Art, obsession, and identity
The first element to appear on this list arguably has the most identifiable name. Americium was named after the Americas, and it is a radioactive element that was first produced in 1944 as part of the Manhattan Project. In fact, it sits alongside plutonium (Pu) on the periodic table of elements, which is another well-known radioactive element.
Livermorium was discovered in 2000 and named after the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which in turn was named after the city of Livermore, California. The element is too unstable to have any practical applications though, and so scientific research is also its primary purpose.
Interestingly, the US state of California also has an element named after itself. Much like the other elements named after places in America, it is a highly radioactive metal. Californium is mostly used in cancer treatment and scientific research.
The final element to be named after a location in America is Tennessine, named after the state of Tennessee even though the element’s discovery was announced in Russia. This was largely due to a joint collaboration between American and Russian scientists. Tennessine is the second-to-last element listed on the periodic table, and is also mainly used for research.
Polonium was discovered in 1898 by physicist Marie Curie and was named after her homeland of Poland. It is a very dangerous chemical element to handle, and is mainly used as a heat source in space equipment.
Moving over to Europe, the first country to appear on this list is Francium, an extremely rare element named after the country of France. Because of its rarity and hazardous instability, Francium is near-impossible to use commercially.
Interestingly, Gallium is another element named after France, although it was taken from the country’s ancient name of Gaul. The element is a rather soft metal that can melt at near room temperature, and can be found in a lot of places around the world (specifically in LEDs and solar panels).
Before the French city of Paris became its well-known, modern-day self, the town of Lutetia used to stand in its place. The element lutetium was named after this town, and it is an extremely rare natural metal that can be found in PET scan detectors.
Germanium is a chemical element that has very similar properties to silicon and tin. The element was named after the country of Germany in 1886, which is where it was discovered. Germanium has quite a vast array of uses, mainly in semiconductors and fiber optics.
Hassium is one of 24 synthetic elements on the periodic table, which means that it cannot be found naturally on Earth. The element was named after Hesse (or Hassia in Latin), a state in Germany, and, much like other synthetic elements, it is extremely unstable and decays very quickly.
Another element named after a German location is Darmstadtium, which was given its moniker after the city of Darmstadt in the state of Hesse. Darmstadtium is another synthetic element that has no practical applications beyond scientific research.
Rhenium is the only element on the periodic table to be named after a river, specifically the Rhine River that passes through many European countries before draining into the North Sea. Rhenium is a very rare metal that can withstand high temperatures, which makes it a perfect element to be used in jet engines.
Scandium is an incredibly rare and incredibly costly metal used in aerospace components and even sports equipment. The element was named after the Northern European region of Scandinavia, which covers many of the Nordic countries.
Hafnium is a highly corrosive element that was discovered in 1923 and named after Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen in Denmark. The element is used in nuclear reactors and aerospace materials, especially since it is able to absorb powerful radioactive neutrons.
The Latin name for the Swedish city of Stockholm (Holmia) was the inspiration for this element’s name. Holmium has the highest magnetic point of any element on Earth, which allows it to be a useful addition to specific magnets and even lasers.
Of all the rare earth elements listed on the periodic table, thulium is one of the rarest. It was discovered in 1879 and named after Thule, an ancient Greek moniker given to Scandinavia or Iceland. Interestingly, thulium is used in portable X-ray devices and nuclear reactors.
The village of Ytterby in Sweden is renowned as the world's most prolific site for the discovery of chemical elements. Indeed, ytterbium is one of four elements named after the village, and four more elements were also discovered there.
Yttrium is another element named after the village of Ytterby, Sweden. The silvery-metallic metal was discovered as early as 1787, and has since been used as a crucial component in various electronic devices, including LEDs.
This is the third element to be named after Ytterby. Terbium is a silvery rare earth metal also used in computer components, as well as fluorescent lamps. Interestingly, the element is also used in naval sonar systems.
Erbium is the fourth element to have its name taken from Ytterby. Many areas of medicine, such as dermatology and dentistry, rely on erbium, although the element can also be found in optical fibers, lasers, and nuclear technology.
Strontium is a soft metal that is highly chemically reactive, which makes it perfect for use in fireworks. The element was discovered in 1790, and it creates bright red flames when lit. Strontium was named after Strontian, a village in Scotland.
This element is quite commonly known, especially since it can be found in the human body. Copper is a soft metal that was named after the Greek city of Cyprus, where it was mined by the ancient Romans 3,000 years ago. The original Roman name for the element was aes cyprium (metal of Cyprus), which later evolved into the Latin cuprum. This then became the Old English word of coper.
Magnesium is a lightweight metal that is often used in fireworks. It is the 11th most abundant element in the human body, and was named after Magnesia, a district in Greece.
The Greek district of Magnesia also gave its name to the element manganese. Although it has modern uses in improving steel’s strength and durability, it was used as a pigment for cave paintings in France almost 30,000 years ago.
Much like the Americas, the European continent also has the privilege of having an element named after it. Europium is used in fluorescent applications, such as TV screens and LED lights. It is also utilized in anti-counterfeiting measures due to its luminescent properties.
The Latin name for Russia, which is Ruthenia, was the inspiration for the moniker of this element. Ruthenium is a rare and hard metal that was discovered in 1844. It has since been used to enhance the properties of platinum and palladium, making it useful in electrical devices.
Moscovium is a highly radioactive synthetic element that was named after Moscow, Russia, which is where the element was first synthesized in 2003. It is another element with limited practical applications.
Dubnium is another synthetic element named after a place in Russia, specifically the village of Dubna near Moscow. At present, the element has no known biological role, and is only used in research.
Nihonium is a synthetic element that was first synthesized in 2004 and named after nihon, one of the two Japanese pronunciations for the name of Japan. Interestingly, the name was established 12 years after the element was officially created.
One of the softest elements on the planet is indium, which was named after the country of India, although the name has also been suggested to come from the Latin word indicum, meaning indigo. The metal is used in a wide variety of ways, including in touchscreens and vacuums.
The mineral beryl, which contains beryllium, has been used since as far back as the 3rd century BCE. Beryllium was named after this mineral, although it, in turn, was named after a town in southern India called Belur. The element is used in aerospace and electronics.
Sources: (Ptable) (Science Notes and Projects) (The Royal Society of Chemistry) (Britannica) (American Chemical Society)
You’ve probably heard someone tell you that the world around us is made up of atoms. While they’re not wrong, there is a lot more to the story than you might think. The periodic table, which arranges all the elements (radioactive or otherwise) according to their structure, contains 118 chemical elements. These are the building blocks of our world. But did you know that some of the elements are named after places? Click through the following gallery to see what they are.
Chemical elements that are named after places
Do you live in any of these locations?
LIFESTYLE Science
You’ve probably heard someone tell you that the world around us is made up of atoms. While they’re not wrong, there is a lot more to the story than you might think. The periodic table, which arranges all the elements (radioactive or otherwise) according to their structure, contains 118 chemical elements. These are the building blocks of our world. But did you know that some of the elements are named after places? Click through the following gallery to see what they are.