An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

Metallic chemical element belonging to the iron group; symbol Ni. Atomic number 28; atomic weight 58.69; melting point about 1,453°C; boiling point about 2,732°C. It was discovered by the Swedish metallurgist Axel-Fredrik Cronstedt (1722-1765) in 1751.

See also: Nickel, from shortening of Swedish kopparnickel “copper-colored ore,” from which it was first obtained, a half-translation of Ger. Kupfernickel, literally “copper demon,” from Kupfer “copper” + Nickel “demon, rascal” (from Nikolaus; cf. E. Old Nick “the devil;” the ore so called by miners because it looked like copper but yielded none.