Uranus got its name from the ancient Greek god of the sky, Uranus (Ouranos). When the planet was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, he initially named it "Georgium Sidus" (George's Star) in honor of King George III of England. However, this name was not widely accepted outside of Britain. About a year later, German astronomer Johann Elert Bode proposed naming the planet Uranus, following the tradition of naming planets after mythological gods. Bode argued that since Saturn was the father of Jupiter in mythology, the new planet should be named after Saturn's father, Uranus, to maintain a mythological hierarchy among the planets. This name was eventually adopted universally by the mid-19th century

. Uranus is unique among the eight planets because its English name derives from a Greek deity rather than a Roman one, unlike the other planets. The Roman equivalent of Uranus is Caelus, but Bode chose the Greek name, possibly unaware of this or because the Greek version sounded more fitting

. Additionally, the element uranium, discovered in 1789, was named in support of the planet's name, further cementing Uranus's place in scientific nomenclature