Monatomic cations are named by taking the element name and following it with the charge in brackets e.g
*  sodium(1+)
*  chromium(3+)
Sometimes an abbreviated form of the element name has to be taken, e.g. germide for germanium as germanide refers to .
Polyatomic cations of the same element are named as the element name preceded by di-, tri-, etc., e.g.:
*  dimercury(2+)
Polyatomic cations made up of different elements are named either substitutively or additively, e.g.:
*  phosphanium
*  tetrafluorostibanium (substitutive) or tetrafluoridoantimony(1+)
* Note that ammonium and oxonium are acceptable names for  and  respectively. (Hydronium is not an acceptable name for )