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How did calcium get its name from the Latin word calx?

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A labeled diagram of the periodic table entry for calcium, showing its atomic number 20, symbol Ca, atomic weight 40.078, electron configuration, and classification as an alkaline-earth metal. Icons indicate calcium is a solid with a face-centered cubic crystal structure and strongly basic oxides at room temperature. — calcium The chemical element calcium is the most abundant metallic element in the human body.

The name for the chemical element calcium is derived directly from the Latin word calx, which means "lime".12

This naming convention reflects the historical association between the element and lime (calcium oxide), a compound that was extensively used by ancient civilizations. When Sir Humphry Davy first isolated the metal in 1808, he did so by electrolyzing a mixture of lime and mercuric oxide. Because lime was the primary source material from which the element was extracted, the name calx was adopted to identify the new substance.21