Earth Is the Only Planet Not Named for a Greek or Roman God

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all carry names from ancient mythology. Earth does not. NASA states that Earth is the only planet in the solar system whose English name does not come from Greek or Roman mythology, and that the name was taken from Old English and Germanic. In NASA’s words, all of the planets, except for Earth, were named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. NASA’s page lists other ways Earth stands apart. It is the only planet in our solar system with liquid water on the surface, and the only planet with only one moon. Earth’s global ocean covers about 71 percent of the planet’s surface. Earth is, however, only the fifth largest planet in the solar system.