List of Chemical Symbols

Most elements on the periodic table are identified by one- or two-letter symbols derived from their names. In many cases, these come from the first one or two letters of the element’s English or Latin name. Some, however, use letters from older names or other languages where a direct abbreviation wasn’t possible. For a few elements, the connection between the symbol and the name isn’t immediately obvious, often because the symbol originates from historical or Latin terminology.

Chemical symbols

Ac – Actinium – 89
Ag – Silver – 47 – From the Latin Argentum meaning “shining metal”
Al – Aluminium – 13
Am – Americium – 95
Ar – Argon – 18
As – Arsenic – 33
At – Astatine – 85
Au – Gold – 79 – From the Latin Aurum meaning “yellow”
B – Boron – 5
Ba – Barium – 56
Be – Beryllium – 4
Bh – Bhorium – 107
Bi – Bismuth – 83
Bk – Berkelium – 97
Br – Bromine – 35
C – Carbon – 6
Ca – Calcium – 20
Cd – Cadmium – 48
Ce – Cerium – 58
Cf – Californium – 98
Cl – Chlorine – 17
Cm – Curium – 96
Co – Cobalt – 27
Cr – Chromium – 24
Cs – Caesium – 55
Cu – Copper – 29 – From Cuprum, the Latin name for Cyprus, the Roman source of copper
Ds – Darmstadtium – 110
Db – Dubnium – 105
Dy – Dysprosium – 66
Er – Erbium – 68
Es – Einsteinium – 99
Eu – Europium – 63
F – Fluorine – 9
Fe – Iron – 26 – From Ferrum, the Latin name for iron
Fm – Fermium – 100
Fr – Francium – 87
Ga – Gallium – 31
Gd – Gadolinium – 64
Ge – Germanium – 32
H – Hydrogen – 1
He – Helium – 2
Hf – Hafnium – 72
Hg – Mercury – 80 – From the Latin Hydrargyrum meaning “liquid silver”
Ho – Holmium – 67
Hs – Hassium – 108
I – Iodine – 53
In – Indium – 49
Ir – Iridium – 77
K – Potassium – 19 – From the Latin Kalium meaning “alkali”
Kr – Krypton – 36
La – Lanthanum – 57
Li – Lithium – 3
Lr – Lawrencium – 103
Lu – Lutetium – 71
Md – Mendelevium – 101
Mg – Magnesium – 12
Mn – Manganese – 25
Mo – Molybdenum – 42
Mt – Meitnerium – 109
N – Nitrogen – 7
Na – Sodium – 11 – From Natrium, the Latin name for sodium carbonate
Nb – Niobium – 41
Nd – Neodymium – 60
Ne – Neon – 10
Ni – Nickel – 28
No – Nobelium – 102
Np – Neptunium – 93
O – Oxygen – 8
Os – Osmium – 76
P – Phosphorus – 15
Pa – Protactinium – 91
Pb – Lead – 82 – From the Latin Plumbum meaning “soft white metal”
Pd – Palladium – 46
Pm – Promethium – 61
Po – Polonium – 84
Pr – Praseodymium – 59
Pt – Platinum – 78
Pu – Plutonium – 94
Ra – Radium – 88
Rb – Rubidium – 37
Re – Rhenium – 75
Rf – Rutherfordium – 104
Rg – Roentgenium – 111
Rh – Rhodium – 45
Rn – Radon – 86
Ru – Ruthenium – 44
S – Sulphur – 16
Sb – Antimony – 51 – From the Latin Stibium meaning “cosmetic powder”
Sc – Scandium – 21
Se – Selenium – 34
Sg – Seaborgium – 106
Si – Silicon – 14
Sm – Samarium – 62
Sn – Tin – 50 – From Stannum, the Latin word for tin
Sr – Strontium – 38
Ta – Tantalum – 73
Tb – Terbium – 65
Tc – Technetium – 43
Te – Tellurium – 52
Th – Thorium – 90
Ti – Titanium – 22
Tl – Thallium – 81
Tm – Thulium – 69
U – Uranium – 92
V – Vanadium – 23
W – Tungsten – 74 – From Wolfram, an old name derived from its ore, Wolframite
Xe – Xenon – 54
Y – Yttrium – 39
Yb – Ytterbium – 70
Zn – Zinc – 30
Zr – Zirconium – 40