The name Baryon comes from the Greek barys (heavy). Baryons are subatomic particles discovered in the 1930s and found to have a particularly large mass. There are only two naturally occurring baryons: the proton and the neutron. Both are core elements of atoms. Neutrons have no electric charge, while protons are positively charged. So, an atomic core has a highly concentrated mass and a positive electric charge.

The name Baryon was chosen for its meaning and its resonant sound.