How Did Batteries Get their Names?

Long gone are the days when batteries were only found on factory floors and in the labs of inventors. Today, there’s an entire world of consumer electronics that is powered by these portable power sources. From cars and remote controls to wall clocks and weight scales, pick any electronic device in your home and you’re bound to find a battery operating it.

But have you ever stopped and wondered why these devices are named as they are? The AA battery is all around us; but what’s the deal with these A’s? Why isn’t there a battery named just A? And why are so many letters skipped in the middle? Too many questions and not enough answers.

Well, you’re in luck because today we’ll be answering all these questions and detailing how batteries got their names. So, without any further ado, let’s take a detailed look at the rich history of batteries and their naming protocols.

Standardization in a World Without Moral Standards

The end of the first World War led to the mass commercialization of electronic goods. Gadgets and devices that were once reserved for scientists and the military saw themselves in the homes of everyday Americans. So, it’s not surprising that manufacturers started to ramp up the production of batteries to keep up with the rising demand for battery-powered electronics.

In those days, batteries had extremely complicated names based on their chemical compositions. Remembering these names was tough for the mass consumer. So, in 1919, the Department of Commerce set some standards for battery naming.

The letter system was introduced where the voltage levels of batteries would go up as you descended through the alphabetical order. The A (low voltage) and B (high voltage) batteries became relatively common for operating various types of radios.

The Race to Nano

As the world progressed, people started to demand more portable electronics. So, manufacturers started to slim down their gadgets. These compact devices required even smaller batteries. Since you can’t really go lower than A in the alphabetical spectrum, battery makers started to add more A’s after the first one. The rule of thumb now was that the extra A’s translated to smaller battery size. Not confusing at all, right?

A Contemporary Outlook

Battery names went bonkers with the advent of globalization. Now, electronics were found in all sorts of shapes and sizes. To keep up with the names, manufacturers started to add fractions, numbers, and even more letters after the actual letter of their batteries.

Today, there are more than 300 sizes of batteries on the market. What’s strange is that many letters of the alphabet are yet to be utilized. Registered sizes include AAAA through G. Then, there’s a jump to J, then N and O, and finally R.

Some of the sizes, like A, have gone out of use. Others are only found sparingly, like B batteries only being used for bicycle lights in the UK. Some letters are not for consumer use, while others, like F and G, are always clustered together. So, buying them separately is not possible.

Oh, by the way, remember the J batteries we mentioned previously? Well, those were made by Kodak for their cameras, so that’s their sole use. The N battery breaks the rule of ‘lower letter, bigger size’ by being smaller than AAAA. The reasoning behind its name is that it was the first battery containing mercury. And, N is the International Electrotechnical Committee symbol for mercury. Yup, we’re not confused at all!

Final Thoughts

Batteries are confusing, and identifying them is even more so. The letter system was introduced in the US to reduce the confusion. Although, in our humble opinion, it only exacerbated the situation.