I wasn't looking for a new field of study. I was just curious if names could be spelled using periodic table symbols.

Started innocently enough: my wife and I were exploring whether our names translated into chemical elements. Turns out Ni-K-K-Y (Nickel-Potassium-Potassium-Yttrium) and Si-O-Si (the backbone of Silica) don't just spell our names—they describe something fundamental about how we operate.

And now I can't unsee it.

The Accidental Discovery

The periodic table has 118 elements, each with a one-, two-, or three-letter symbol. H for Hydrogen. Au for Gold. Fe for Iron (from Latin Ferrum). These symbols are standardized by IUPAC, which means they're universally recognized across languages and cultures.

People have used them for branding, logos, even the Breaking Bad title sequence. But what caught my attention wasn't the spelling—it was the properties.

When I looked at Si-O-Si, I wasn't just seeing my name. I was seeing the Silicon-Oxygen bond that forms Silica (SiO₂)—the primary component of sand, quartz, and glass. In chemistry, this bond is legendary for its stability and clarity. It's the crystalline backbone that holds structure.

Alchemically, Silicon and Oxygen together represent Earth and Air. The foundation. The anchor.

Then I looked at Ni-K-K-Y. Nickel, historically called "Kupfernickel" or "False Copper," was seen as a mischievous spirit that tricked miners. Potassium—represented in alchemy as Potash—is a Fire element, highly energetic and reactive. Yttrium is a transition metal that adds color to gemstones.

In practice? Nikky is the catalyst. The spark. The one who introduces movement and transformation into the system.

Siosi provides the clear, solid structure. Nikky provides the color and energy.

Without Siosi, Nikky might be too volatile. Without Nikky, Siosi might be a bit plain.

Alchemically, we're a gemstone.

And here's the thing: this was eerily accurate.

What We're Actually Looking At

There isn't a formal academic field for this. Yet.

The study of names in general is called Onomastics, which includes Anthroponymy (the study of human names). Chemical nomenclature is governed by IUPAC—the formal system ensuring every substance has a unique, universally recognized name.

Historically, these fields have overlapped. Fifteen elements are officially named after people: Einsteinium for Albert Einstein, Curium for Marie and Pierre Curie. Many symbols like Fe (Iron/Ferrum) or K (Potassium/Kalium) preserve Latin or Arabic roots.

The alchemical interpretation—viewing chemical properties as personality traits—echoes Jungian Psychology. Carl Jung pioneered the idea that alchemical processes (dissolving, purifying metals) are metaphors for the transformation of the human soul and relationships.

But using the actual chemical properties of periodic symbols to analyze human compatibility and identity? That's largely unexplored territory.

People have used elemental analysis to determine the chemical makeup of physical samples. I'm applying it to the "sample" of a person's identity.

The Probability Sweet Spot

Not all names translate cleanly. Based on tests of common names, approximately 9.3% can be perfectly spelled using the 118 established chemical symbols.

Factors that increase probability:

• Names with common 1-letter symbols (H, C, N, O, P, S, I)

• Names ending in "on" (matching elements like Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn)

• Shorter names with fewer "failure points"

The barriers:

• Any name containing J or Q has a 0% probability—these letters don't appear on the periodic table

• Longer names have more potential failure points but also more ways to combine symbols

Examples that work:

• Alice: Al (Aluminum) + I (Iodine) + Ce (Cerium)

• Barbara: Ba (Barium) + Rb (Rubidium) + Ar (Argon) + Ba (Barium)

• Timothy: Ti (Titanium) + Mo (Molybdenum) + Th (Thorium) + Y (Yttrium)

With over 10,000 words in the English language spellable using these symbols, the "language" of the periodic table is more expressive than most realize.

Where This Gets Interesting

This moves beyond phonetic translation, to characterization.

When you look at a name like Barbara (Ba-Rb-Ar-Ba), you're looking at Barium (an alkaline earth metal used in medical imaging), Rubidium (a soft, highly reactive alkali metal), and Argon (a noble gas—stable, non-reactive, inert).

Alchemically? That's a fascinating mix. Two stabilizing Barium bookends around a volatile Rubidium core, with Argon providing inert cushioning. A personality that appears stable externally but has high-energy reactivity at the center, buffered by non-reactive space.

I'm not saying this is deterministic. I'm saying it's a lens—a wayfinding instrument for pattern recognition.

The Framework I'm Testing

Here's what I'm exploring:

1. The Valence Law

Does the "reactivity" of a name's elements correlate with temperament? Highly reactive elements (Potassium, Sodium, Fluorine) might suggest high-energy, transformative personalities. Noble gases (Helium, Neon, Argon) might suggest stability, non-reactivity, self-containment.

2. The Bond Rule

How do two names interact chemically? Is it an Ionic Bond (opposites attract, electron transfer)? A Covalent Bond (shared interests, electron sharing)? Or a Metallic Bond (collective pooling of resources)?

Nikky and Siosi? We're a Silicate Mineral reaction. Potassium and Nickel often sit inside silicate structures. The Siosi framework gives the Nikky elements a safe place to exist without being dangerously reactive.

3. The Isotope Factor

Different ways to spell the same name could represent different "versions" or moods. N-I-K-K-Y (Nitrogen-Iodine-Potassium-Potassium-Yttrium) versus Ni-K-K-Y (Nickel-Potassium-Potassium-Yttrium). Same name, different elemental composition, potentially different energy signature.

Why This Matters

We're living through a moment where systems thinking is converging with consciousness work. People are hunting for integrative frameworks that bridge the empirical and the esoteric without losing rigor.

Chemonomastics sits at that intersection.

It combines:

• Phonetic translation (using symbols as an alphabet)

• Chemical properties (using actual science for personality traits)

• Alchemical archetypes (using elements to describe human "gold")

It's speculative, yes. But it's grounded in standardized, verifiable chemistry. The symbols are real. The properties are documented. The interpretive layer is where the art lives.

What I'm Building Toward

I'm treating this like I treat all my systems work: start with the instrument, then see what it reveals.

Next steps:

• A Periodic Table of Names: Cataloging common names by their elemental composition and chemical properties

• Compatibility Matrices: Testing whether certain elemental combinations predict relationship dynamics (partnerships, collaborations, team composition)

• The Formulaic Database: Documenting case studies like Nikky-Siosi to build a pattern library

This could be a fun party trick. Or it could be a legitimate diagnostic tool for understanding interpersonal chemistry—literally.

Still processing. Not claiming this is deterministic or scientifically proven. But the pattern recognition is too consistent to ignore.

The Invitation

If your name translates cleanly into periodic symbols, I'm curious what you find. Does the elemental composition reflect something true about how you move through the world? Do the chemical properties map to your personality or relational style?

And if you're in a partnership, collaboration, or team—what happens when you look at the chemistry between your names? Ionic? Covalent? Metallic? Silicate?

I'm documenting what I find. If you try this and something lands, I want to hear about it. Not looking for confirmation bias—I'm looking for edge cases, failures, and surprising hits.

This is white space. A synthesis of chemistry, linguistics, and personality theory that doesn't have a formal home yet.

Maybe we're building one.

Two operator takeaways:

1. Pattern recognition beats prediction. Chemonomastics isn't about deterministic fortune-telling—it's a lens for spotting relational dynamics you might already intuitively sense but couldn't name. Use it as a wayfinding instrument, not a map.

2. Integration over binary. The most interesting relationships aren't identical elements bonding—they're complementary systems (like Silica structures stabilizing reactive metals). Look for how different "chemistries" create something neither could alone.