Why are Group 16 elements also called chalcogens?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — oxygen group element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Group 16 elements—which include oxygen, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium—are called chalcogens because of their frequent occurrence in metallic ores.1

The term is derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary, combining the Greek word chalkos (meaning "bronze" or "ore") with the suffix -gen (meaning "producer" or "forming"). This naming reflects the historical and geological reality that oxygen and sulfur are primary components of many naturally occurring mineral ores. Furthermore, the group is known for forming binary compounds with more electropositive elements, which are referred to as chalcogenides.12