What was the element mercury named after?

The element mercury was named after Mercury, the Roman messenger god. The name ultimately reflects the element’s association with the planet Mercury and the god’s legendary speed and mobility.

Ancient observers noticed that the planet Mercury moves rapidly across the sky compared with the other visible planets. The Romans associated it with Mercurius, their quick-footed messenger deity, whom they identified with the Greek god Hermes. The same name was later applied to the shiny, fast-moving liquid metal known today as mercury.

Mercury is unusual because it is the only metallic element that is liquid at standard room temperature. Its chemical symbol, Hg, comes from the Latinized Greek-derived name hydrargyrum, meaning “liquid silver.” That explains why the symbol does not resemble the English word “mercury.” A common mix-up is to say the element was named directly for the planet; more precisely, the element’s name follows the planet’s name, which itself comes from the Roman god.