The Girl Who Named Pluto
The Girl Who Named Pluto
1930Oxford, England and Flagstaff, Arizona, USASpace & the cosmos
Pluto was named by an 11-year-old Oxford schoolgirl over breakfast in 1930 — and 76 years later she had still only seen it in a photograph.
Reading level
The same true story, told at three lengths. Pick one to read, close your eyes, and tell it back in your own words.
214 words · about 1 min to read · retell it in about 2 minutes
In March 1930, an 11-year-old girl named Venetia Burney was eating breakfast in Oxford, England. Her grandfather was reading the newspaper and told her some big news: scientists had found a new planet, far away. It did not have a name yet.
Venetia knew her Roman myths. She said: why not call it Pluto? Pluto was the god of the underworld, a dark, faraway place.
Her grandfather loved the idea. He was a retired librarian who knew a professor at Oxford, so he sent him the idea. The professor sent it on to the observatory in America where the planet had been found.
The astronomers there liked it. Pluto was a name no one had used for a planet, and its first letters were the initials of Percival Lowell, the astronomer who had predicted that a planet was out there. On May 1, 1930, the name Pluto was official.
Venetia’s grandfather gave her a five-pound note as a reward. Most newspapers at the time did not mention her, and for decades her part was mostly forgotten.
Many years later, in 2006, she said she had only ever seen her planet in a photograph. But in 2015, a spacecraft called New Horizons flew past Pluto, and it carried an instrument with her name on it.
348 words · about 2 min to read · retell it in about 3 minutes
On the morning of March 14, 1930, an 11-year-old girl was eating breakfast in north Oxford while her grandfather read The Times. Falconer Madan had once been the head of the Bodleian Library, and when he reached page 14 he found something remarkable: a new planet had been discovered, and it had no name yet. He mentioned it to his granddaughter, Venetia Burney.
She knew her Greek and Roman myths from children’s books. After a short pause she said: “Why not call it Pluto?” Pluto was the Roman god of the underworld, who could make himself invisible — a name that turned out to be very fitting for a dim little world at the edge of the dark.
Most people’s story would end there. Venetia’s did not, because of who her grandfather was. Madan was so taken with the idea that, on his usual walk to the Bodleian, he stopped at the house of Herbert Hall Turner, professor of astronomy at Oxford, and dropped a note. Turner was away at a meeting in London, where the astronomers were all thinking about names, and none of them had thought of Pluto. He agreed it was an excellent choice and cabled the suggestion to the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, where the planet had been found.
There the astronomers liked it too. Pluto had not been used before, and its first two letters were the initials of Percival Lowell, the astronomer who had predicted the planet and gave his name to the observatory. On May 1, 1930, the name was formally adopted. Madan rewarded his granddaughter with a five-pound note.
Then Venetia was mostly forgotten. Most news coverage at the time never mentioned her, and her role was mostly forgotten until a 1984 article publicized it. She grew up to be an accountant and a teacher; asked in 2006 whether she had ever seen Pluto through a telescope, she said she had only seen a photograph of it. In 2015, a spacecraft called New Horizons flew past the planet she had named, carrying an instrument called the Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter.
491 words · about 2 min to read · retell it in about 4 minutes
The ninth planet had barely been discovered when it got its name, and the name came from a girl who was eleven herself. On the morning of March 14, 1930, Venetia Burney was having breakfast with her mother and her grandfather in north Oxford. Falconer Madan, the retired head of the Bodleian Library, was reading The Times, and when he reached an article on page 14 he announced the great news: a new planet had been found, and astronomers did not yet know what to call it. Venetia, who knew Greek and Roman legends from children’s books, paused and said: “Why not call it Pluto?” The Roman god of the underworld could make himself invisible, which suited a dim, freezing world at the edge of things.
Here the story could easily have died at the breakfast table. It survived because of whom she happened to be related to. Madan walked out that morning, diverged on his usual route to the Bodleian, and dropped a note at the house of Herbert Hall Turner, professor of astronomy at Oxford. Turner was in London at a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society, where astronomers were discussing what to name the planet. None of them had come up with Pluto. When Madan finally caught him, Turner agreed it was an excellent choice and promised to cable the suggestion to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Clyde Tombaugh had made the discovery.
In Arizona the proposal landed well. Pluto was one of the few classical names not already taken, and its first two letters were the initials of Percival Lowell, who had predicted a planet beyond Neptune and gave his name to the observatory. On May 1, 1930, the name was formally adopted. Madan, who liked an excuse for generosity, gave his granddaughter a five-pound note.
And then history lost her name. Most news coverage at the time never mentioned the girl behind the planet, and her part was not publicized again until an article in the 1980s. Venetia became a chartered accountant and taught economics and mathematics in girls’ schools; asked in 2006 whether she had ever seen Pluto through a telescope, she said she had only seen a photograph, though she had visited the Flagstaff observatory and been shown the telescope through which it was first seen. She was 90 when she died in 2009, a few years after saying she was largely indifferent to the debate, though she supposed she would prefer Pluto to remain a planet.
It did not keep that status, but it kept her name in stranger ways: there is an asteroid called 6235 Burney and a crater on Pluto called Burney. And in July 2015, when the spacecraft New Horizons finally flew past the little world she had named at her grandfather’s breakfast table, it was carrying an instrument formally called the Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter. Eleven-year-olds, take note: sometimes it pays to speak up over breakfast.
Read it once, close the page, and tell it back. The coach listens for pace, fillers and the facts.
Key facts and sources
Venetia Burney is remembered as the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the planet discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, at age 11.
“She is remembered as the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the dwarf planet discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. At the time, she was 11 years old.” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
On March 14, 1930, Falconer Madan read of the discovery in The Times and mentioned it to Venetia, who suggested Pluto.
“On 14 March 1930, Falconer Madan read the story of the new planet’s discovery in The Times and mentioned it to his granddaughter Venetia. She suggested the name Pluto” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Pluto is the Roman god of the Underworld, who could make himself invisible.
“Pluto – the Roman god of the Underworld, who was able to make himself invisible” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
She was having breakfast with her mother and grandfather when she suggested it.
“I was having breakfast with my mother and my grandfather” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
Madan forwarded the suggestion to astronomer Herbert Hall Turner, who cabled the American colleagues at Lowell Observatory.
“Madan forwarded the suggestion to astronomer Herbert Hall Turner, who cabled his American colleagues at Lowell Observatory” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Falconer Madan was Librarian of the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
“Falconer Madan (1851–1935), Librarian of the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Turner was at a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in London, where they were thinking about names but none thought of Pluto.
“He was, on that day, attending a meeting in London of the Royal Astronomical Society. They were all thinking about names, but for some reason, none of them thought of Pluto.” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
On May 1, 1930, the name Pluto was formally adopted.
“On 1 May 1930, the name Pluto was formally adopted” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Tombaugh liked the proposal because it began with the initials of Percival Lowell.
“Clyde Tombaugh liked the proposal because it started with the initials of Percival Lowell” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
When the news went public, Madan rewarded his granddaughter with a five-pound note.
“When the news went public, Mr Madan rewarded his granddaughter with a five pound note.” — The girl who named a planet, BBC News
Most coverage at the time did not mention her; her role was mostly forgotten until a 1984 Sky & Telescope article publicized it.
“the role she played in terms of naming Pluto was mostly forgotten about until a 1984 article from Sky & Telescope publicized her role” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Venetia was fairly familiar with Greek and Roman legends from children’s books.
“I was fairly familiar with Greek and Roman legends from various children’s books that I had read” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
In July 2015 the New Horizons spacecraft was first to visit Pluto, carrying the Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter named in her honor.
“In July 2015 the New Horizons spacecraft was the first to visit Pluto and carried an instrument named Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter in her honour.” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Percival Lowell had predicted the existence of Planet X, which they thought was Pluto.
“Percival Lowell, who had predicted the existence of Planet X” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
After graduation she became a chartered accountant and later taught economics and mathematics at girls’ schools.
“After graduation she became a chartered accountant. Later she became a teacher of economics and mathematics at girls’ schools” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
She had only seen photographs of Pluto, never the planet itself, though she visited Flagstaff and was shown the discovery telescope.
“I’ve just seen a photograph of Pluto” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
The asteroid 6235 Burney and the Burney impact basin on Pluto are named in her honour.
“The asteroid 6235 Burney and the Burney impact basin on Pluto were named in her honour.” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Her great-uncle Henry Madan had suggested the names Phobos and Deimos for the moons of Mars.
“Henry Madan (1838–1901), Science Master of Eton, had in 1878 suggested the names Phobos and Deimos for the moons of Mars.” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Madan dropped a note at Professor Turner’s house on his way to the Bodleian.
“He walked down to the Bodleian as usual and on the way he diverged sufficiently to drop a note in at Professor Turner’s house” — The girl who named a planet, BBC News
She visited Flagstaff, Arizona, and was shown the telescope through which Pluto was first seen.
“I have been to Flagstaff, Arizona, and they were very kind” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
She died on April 30, 2009, at age 90.
“11 July 1918 – 30 April 2009” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Months before the reclassification she said she would prefer Pluto to remain a planet.
“though I suppose I would prefer it to remain a planet” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
In August 2017 the IAU approved the names of surface features on Pluto, including Burney crater in her honor.
“The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved the names of several surface features on Pluto, including Burney crater in honor of Venetia Burney Phair.” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet.
“the reclassification of Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet” — Venetia Burney, Wikipedia
Madan read the article on page 14 of The Times.
“When he got to an article on page 14 about the new planet’s discovery, he remarked on it to Venetia.” — The girl who named a planet, BBC News
Pluto was one of the few names from classical mythology not already taken.
“one of the few noteworthy names from classical mythology not already taken” — The girl who named a planet, BBC News
NASA interviewed Venetia shortly before the January 2006 launch of New Horizons.
“NASA interviewed Venetia shortly before the January 2006 launch of the New Horizons mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.” — Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009), NASA
Sources consulted for this story: Venetia Burney (Wikipedia, accessed 2026-10-25); The girl who named a planet (BBC News, accessed 2026-10-25); Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009) (NASA, accessed 2026-10-25). Every story is checked against its sources before it is published — how we verify stories.
Why this story is worth telling
A planet got its name because a grandfather read the newspaper aloud at breakfast, and listened to his granddaughter.
