<p>Who first named the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn?</p>

<p><sup>Agnes Clerke's <em>Catholic Encyclopedia</em> article <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02029a.htm#planets" rel="nofollow noreferrer">"Astronomy in the Bible" § Planets</a> claims that "Venus and Saturn are the only planets expressedly mentioned in the Old Testament."</sup></p>

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2020-01-24T04:34:18.750Z
This will be difficult to answer because there could be namings that did not survive in recorded history. Also I think this is much more likely to get an answer in [History of Science and Math SE](https://hsm.stackexchange.com/) than it will here.
uhoh
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2020-01-24T09:13:16.457Z
Are you asking who first gave the planets those specific names (which Barry mentions come from the Romans)? Or are you asking which people were the first (that we know of) to give names to the planets?
PM 2Ring
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2020-01-24T16:57:46.893Z
Linked question has a good answer for this; both why we still use the Roman names and the earliest names that we know about (Sumerian).  https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/10213/naming-of-the-planets-of-the-solar-system?rq=1
antlersoft
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2020-01-24T17:03:04.727Z
@PM2Ring I'm not asking who first named the planets, but who first gave them their present names.
Geremia
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2020-01-24T17:51:47.840Z
Sorry, I don't think you'll get an answer that's better than what's in the linked question. The origins of the Roman god / planet names are probably lost in the mists of time. I can't even find out by which century those names were well-established. Also, very early Roman religion was rather mysterious: the priests kept a lot of their knowledge secret, only passing it on to initiates.
PM 2Ring
<planet><solar-system><history><naming>
Who first named the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn?
Geremia
# Who first named the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-24)

Who first named the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn?

Agnes Clerke's *Catholic Encyclopedia* article ["Astronomy in the Bible" § Planets](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02029a.htm#planets) claims that "Venus and Saturn are the only planets expressedly mentioned in the Old Testament."

**Tags:** planet, solar-system, history, naming

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This will be difficult to answer because there could be namings that did not survive in recorded history. Also I think this is much more likely to get an answer in [History of Science and Math SE](https://hsm.stackexchange.com/) than it will here.  
> **username_2**: Are you asking who first gave the planets those specific names (which Barry mentions come from the Romans)? Or are you asking which people were the first (that we know of) to give names to the planets?  
> **username_3**: Linked question has a good answer for this; both why we still use the Roman names and the earliest names that we know about (Sumerian).  https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/10213/naming-of-the-planets-of-the-solar-system?rq=1  
> **username_0**: @username_2 I'm not asking who first named the planets, but who first gave them their present names.  
> **username_2**: Sorry, I don't think you'll get an answer that's better than what's in the linked question. The origins of the Roman god / planet names are probably lost in the mists of time. I can't even find out by which century those names were well-established. Also, very early Roman religion was rather mysterious: the priests kept a lot of their knowledge secret, only passing it on to initiates.  

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## 0 answers

