The word potassium stems from the English “pot ash,” which was used to isolate potassium salts. We get K from the name kalium, given by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, which stemmed from alkali, which stemmed from the Arabic al-qalyah, or “plant ashes.”

Why did they name potassium potassium?

Potassium - the only element named after a cooking utensil. It was named in 1807 by Humphry Davy after the compound from which he isolated the metal, potash, or potassium hydroxide.

Where does the symbol K for potassium come from?

The symbol K derives from the Latin kalium via the Arabic qali for alkali. It was first isolated by the British chemist Humphry Davy in 1807 from electrolysis of potash (KOH).