Chemical symbols like Fe for iron, Na for sodium, and K for potassium originate from their names in Latin, such as ferrum, natrium, and kalium, respectively.
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Some chemical symbols are formed from the first letter of the name and a subsequent letter, like Cl for chlorine and Zn for zinc.
Many symbols are derived from the first one or two letters of the element’s name in English, following the capitalization rule for the first letter.
The symbols usually consist of one or two letters from the element’s English name, with the first letter capitalized and the second letter lowercase.
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) oversees the naming of elements, symbols, and units.