Ytterbium was discovered in 1878 by the Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in a mineral called gadolinite, which was sourced from the Ytterby quarry in Sweden. The element was named after this locality, which is known for its rich deposits of rare earth elements. Subsequent research and extraction efforts also revealed ytterbium in other minerals, but its initial identification is closely tied to the Ytterby site.