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The atomic symbol for any element was a one or two letter abbreviation for the name of the element. Hydrogen, the simplest element, has the symbol "H". Helium, the second-lightest, is "He".

Often, the first two letters (or, two representative letters) of the Latin name of the element were used. So the metal silver, in Latin "argent", is represented as "Ag". "Aurum" is Latin for gold, so the symbol for gold is "Au".

Iron, Ferrum, "Fe".

Lead, "plumbum", is "Pb". "Plumbum" for lead also gives us "Plumbing" because Roman pipes were made of lead, or a "plumb bob" or "lead-weighted string" is used to measure a vertical line. Also "plumb crazy", a reference to the neurological problems caused by lead poisoning.

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