Under IUPAC rules, the team were not allowed to name the element after a living person.

BBC: New element named 'copernicium'

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) will officially endorse the new element's name in six months' time in order to give the scientific community "time to discuss the suggestion".

BBC: New element named 'copernicium'

"After IUPAC officially recognised our discovery, we agreed on proposing the name (because) we would like to honour an outstanding scientist, " said Professor Hofmann.

BBC: New element named 'copernicium'