Isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig (in 1825) and Antoine Jérôme Balard (in 1826), its name was derived from the Ancient Greek βρῶμος ("stench"), referring to its sharp and disagreeable smell.
Kaisolasi sacara ngaraga olih kalih juru kimia, Carl Jacob Löwig (warsa 1825) miwah Antoine Jérôme Balard (warsa 1826), aran nyané maasal saking Basa Yunani Kuna βρῶμος ("ambu tan becik"), mawit saking ambu nyané sané keras miwah tan miik.