Why was the Carboniferous Period named after coal-bearing rocks?

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Carboniferous paleogeography — Carboniferous Period Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the late Carboniferous Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.

The Carboniferous Period is named for the extensive coal-bearing strata that characterize the upper portion of the rock series throughout the world.1

During this period, particularly in the Pennsylvanian subperiod, the Earth experienced a frequent occurrence of coal swamps populated by diverse vascular plants, such as lycopods and seed ferns. These environments led to the formation of more coal than at any other time in the geologic record. Consequently, the name Carboniferous—which means "coal-bearing"—was adopted because these distinct, carbon-rich rock layers are a defining feature of the period's geology globally.213