The practice of naming the fundamental building blocks of the universe is a long-standing tradition in science. Elements often receive their names from diverse sources, including geographical locations, mythological figures, or properties of the substance itself. Among the 118 elements currently recognized, a select few are named as an enduring tribute to the individuals who advanced scientific understanding. Naming an element after a person is one of the highest honors in chemistry and physics, securing a scientist’s place in history.
The Specific Number of Honored Scientists
The precise number of scientists who have an element named directly after them is fifteen. Since the element Curium (Cm) honors both Marie and Pierre Curie, the total number of scientists honored is sixteen. This figure is relatively small considering the 118 total elements. The elements named after scientists are almost exclusively synthetic, meaning they were created in a laboratory rather than found in nature. These human-named elements are found toward the bottom of the periodic table, within the transuranic series of heavy, unstable isotopes.
Rules for Naming Elements After Individuals
The formal process for naming a newly discovered element is overseen by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Once the discovery or synthesis of a new element has been officially verified, the discoverers propose a name and a two-letter symbol. IUPAC provides acceptable categories for element names, which include a mythological concept, a geographical region, a mineral, a property of the element, or a scientist. The proposed name must then undergo a five-month period of public review and comment before it is officially ratified by the IUPAC Council.
Although there is no strict rule that a person must be deceased to receive this honor, the tradition strongly favors honoring those whose life’s work is complete. Two notable exceptions are Glenn T. Seaborg and Yuri Oganessian, who were still alive at the time of the naming. To maintain consistency, the names of new elements must follow specific suffix rules based on their position on the periodic table, with most ending in “-ium,” while those in the halogen and noble gas groups end in “-ine” and “-on,” respectively.
Notable Scientists and Their Elemental Namesakes
Several elements named after scientists recognize pioneers in nuclear physics and radioactivity. Element 96, Curium (Cm), honors Marie and Pierre Curie for their research on radioactivity. Einsteinium (Es), element 99, and Fermium (Fm), element 100, were discovered following the first hydrogen bomb test. They are named after theoretical physicist Albert Einstein and nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi, recognizing their contributions to the atomic age.
Dmitri Mendeleev, the Russian chemist who created the foundation of the periodic table, is honored with element 101, Mendelevium (Md). Rutherfordium (Rf) recognizes Ernest Rutherford, often called the “father of nuclear physics” for his discovery of the atomic nucleus. Glenn T. Seaborg, a Nobel laureate, is recognized with Seaborgium (Sg), element 106, for synthesizing numerous transuranic elements.