Which element’s name comes from the continent of Europe?

The element whose name comes from the continent of Europe is europium.

Europium is a chemical element with the symbol Eu and atomic number 63. It is a soft, silvery metal and one of the lanthanides, a group often called the rare-earth elements. Its name honors Europe, following the naming pattern used for several elements associated with places.

French chemist Eugène-Anatole Demarçay discovered europium in 1901. He separated it from compounds containing samarium after noticing spectral lines that could not be explained by known elements. Europium is one of the less abundant rare-earth elements and is highly reactive compared with many other lanthanides.

Europium compounds are especially important in color technology. Europium-doped materials produce red phosphorescence and have been used in television screens, fluorescent lamps, and anti-counterfeiting features on banknotes. Germanium is named after Germany, while polonium honors Poland.