Meanings of minor-planet names: 85001–86000

This is a partial list of meanings of minor-planet names. Also see list of named minor planets (alphabetical) for a condensed version without naming citations.

As minor planet discoveries are confirmed, they are given a permanent number by the IAU's Minor Planet Center (MPC), and the discoverers can then submit names for them, following the IAU's naming conventions. The list below concerns those minor planets in the specified number-range that have received names, and explains the meanings of those names.

Official naming citations of newly named small Solar System bodies are approved and published in a bulletin by IAU's Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN). Before May 2021, citations were published in MPC's Minor Planet Circulars for many decades. Recent citations can also be found on the JPL Small-Body Database (SBDB). Until his death in 2016, German astronomer Lutz D. Schmadel compiled these citations into the Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (DMP) and regularly updated the collection.

Based on Paul Herget's The Names of the Minor Planets, Schmadel also researched the unclear origin of numerous asteroids, most of which had been named prior to World War II. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: SBDB New namings may only be added to this list below after official publication as the preannouncement of names is condemned. The WGSBN publishes a comprehensive guideline for the naming rules of non-cometary small Solar System bodies.

85001–85100

Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85004 Crombie	2003 YY152	M. Katherine Crombie (born 1970), a member of the OSIRIS-REx science team with responsibility for data management and archiving.	JPL · 85004
85014 Sutter	2004 BD38	Brian Sutter (born 1961), an engineer at Lockheed Martin Company and the Mission Designer for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission.	JPL · 85014
85015 Gaskell	2004 BE38	Robert Gaskell (born 1945), a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute	JPL · 85015
85030 Admetos	2804 P-L	Admetus (Admetos), from Greek mythology. The King of Pherae was saved by Apollo from his fated death when his wife Alcestis offers to die in his place, father of Eumelos, the best charioteer in the Greek army during the Trojan war	JPL · 85030
85047 Krakatau	6255 P-L	The island of Krakatau, Indonesia. It partly collapsed beneath the sea in 1883 during one of the largest volcanic eruptions in historic times.	JPL · 85047
85095 Hekla	5192 T-2	Hekla, a prominent volcano in the south of Iceland	JPL · 85095

85101–85200

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85119 Hannieschaft	1972 RD	Hannie Schaft (1920–1945) was a member of the Dutch Resistance during World War II. Her nickname was "Het meisje met het rode haar" (the girl with the red hair), which is also the title of a book and film about her. Born as Jannetje Johanna Schaft, her secret name in the resistance movement was "Hannie". She was executed three weeks before the end of the war.	JPL · 85119
85121 Loehde	1976 KF3	Franklin C. Loehde (born 1936) is a retired Canadian science educator in Edmonton. He was involved in successful efforts to build the Queen Elizabeth Planetarium in 1960 and the Edmonton Space Sciences Centre (now the Odyssium) in 1984. He served as National President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada during 1982–1984 (Src).	JPL · 85121
85158 Phyllistrapp	1987 UT1	Phyllis Trapp (born 1952) has been an inspiration to many with her indomitable spirit during her courageous 18-year battle with breast cancer. Devoted to her family, she volunteered in her grandsons' school, encouraging and teaching students through her love and patience, and playing the piano for kindergarten performances.	JPL · 85158
85168 Albertacentenary	1989 RC6	Centenary of the provincehood of Alberta (in 2005). Alberta was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria (Src).	JPL · 85168
85179 Meistereckhart	1990 TS11	Meister Eckhart (ca. 1260–1327/28), a German theologian and mystic from Thuringia. His philosophy is unique, although it combines Greek, Neoplatonic, Arabic and Scholastic elements. Because part of his theological writings are in German, he influenced German language and terminology.	JPL · 85179
85183 Marcelaymé	1991 BE1	Marcel Aymé (1902–1967) was a French novelist, screenwriter and theater playwright. Educated at the College de Dole, he worked as a journalist in Paris while publishing his first novel Brûlebois (1926). His novel La Table aux crevés won the Prix Renaudot in 1929. He was buried near Montmartre.	JPL · 85183
85185 Lederman	1991 LM3	Leon M. Lederman (1922–2018) was an American particle physicist and 1988 Physics Nobel Laureate. In 1962 he discovered the muon neutrino and in 1977 the bottom quark. Since 1989 he has been director emeritus of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and is the author of The God particle.	JPL · 85185
85190 Birgitroth	1991 RR3	Birgit Roth (born 1974) is a German physician and well-known expert on hematology and oncology.	JPL · 85190
85195 von Helfta	1991 TW2	Gertrude the Great (1256–1302), a German mystic who lived in the nunnery of Helfta near Eisleben. Her popular poetic writings Legatus Divinae Pietatis and Exercitia Spiritualia represent her religious experiences and the theological view of her time.	JPL · 85195
85196 Halle	1991 TG3	The German city of Halle in Saxony Anhalt, where the University of Halle-Wittenberg, the academy of Art and Design, and the Franckesche foundation is located. It is also the birthplace of George Frideric Handel.	JPL · 85196
85197 Ginkgo	1991 TG5	The tree Ginkgo biloba	JPL · 85197
85198 Weltenburg	1991 TC6	The famous Benedictine Abbey in Weltenburg on the Danube is the oldest monastery in Bavaria. It was founded around 600 CE and the monks have brewed beer there since 1050. It is the world's oldest monastic brewery.	JPL · 85198
85199 Habsburg	1991 TE7	Habsburg Castle or Habichtsburg (lit. "hawk's castle"), is a ruin in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is the ancestral seat of the European Habsburg dynasty, which reigned for 1000 years. Its power culminated with emperor Karl V (1500–1558). The name was suggested by Freimut Börngen who co-discovered this asteroid.	JPL · 85199
85200 Johnhault	1991 TG15	John A. Hault (born 1946) a Canadian public science educator. He was curator of Edmonton's Queen Elizabeth Planetarium when, in the mid-1970s, he recognized the need for a major science center. He played the major role in developing the project and served as the first director of the Edmonton Space Sciences Centre (now the Odyssium) when it opened in 1984.	JPL · 85200

85201–85300

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85214 Sommersdorf	1992 SZ1	Sommersdorf is a municipality in the northern part of Bavaria, Germany	JPL · 85214
85215 Hohenzollern	1992 SD14	Burg Hohenzollern, originally Zollern, castle on the mountain cone of the same name in the Swabian Alps, Germany, ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty	JPL · 85215
85216 Schein	1992 SL17	Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630), born and died in Saxony, was cantor of Leipzig's Thomanerchor for 16 years. He belongs to the grand three "S" of baroque music in Germany: the three composers Schütz, Schein and Scheidt, were born in 1585, 1586 and 1587, respectively.	JPL · 85216
85217 Bilzingsleben	1992 US8	Bilzingsleben, Thuringia, Germany, one of Europe's most important early palaeolithic sites	JPL · 85217
85267 Taj Mahal	1994 AD2	The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife.	JPL · 85267
85293 Tengzhou	1994 RC25	The Chinese city of Tengzhou, located in the southern part of Shandong Province.	JPL · 85293
85299 Neander	1994 TM16	Joachim Neander (1650–1680), a German theologian and headmaster of a Latin school. He wrote the words to the ecumenical hymn Praise to the Lord, the Almighty. The Neander Valley, where the Neandertal was found, is also named after him.	JPL · 85299

85301–85400

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85308 Atsushimori	1994 WG4	Atsushi Mori (1970–2007), a Japanese astronomer, was a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory (2000–2003) and Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory (2003–2007). He devoted himself to the study of cometary physics, as well as to educating the general public about astronomy.	JPL · 85308
85317 Lehár	1995 BB16	Franz Lehár (1870–1948), an Austrian composer who created a new style of Viennese operetta. In 1905, he achieved worldwide success with The Merry Widow, The Land of Smiles, and other operettas followed. Several of his works were filmed.	JPL · 85317
85320 Bertram	1995 EP8	Master Bertram (c.1345–1415) was a German Gothic painter primarily of religious art. The youngest grandson of Freimut Börngen, who discovered this asteroid's, is also named Bertram (born 2002).	JPL · 85320
85368 Elisabettacioni	1996 CQ7	Elisabetta Cioni (born 1962) has been an amateur astronomer at the Gruppo Astrofili Montelupo since 2004.	IAU · 85368
85386 Payton	1996 OU2	Walter Payton (1953–1999) an American football player who was one of the greatest running backs ever to play in the National Football League. He is considered by many to be the best all-around football player ever. His 13-year career was with the Chicago Bears. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.	JPL · 85386
85388 Sakazukiyama	1996 PU9	Sakazukiyama mountain (256-m high) is located in eastern part of Yamagata city, Japan. The mountain is popular with hikers.	JPL · 85388
85389 Rosenauer	1996 QE1	Josef Rosenauer (1735–1804) was a Czech engineer who designed and built of the Schwarzenberg Canal for floating timber from the Šumava mountains to Vienna. Finished in 1793, this waterway connected the Vltava and the Danube, two rivers that flow into different seas.	JPL · 85389
85400 Shiratakachu	1996 TD10	Shirataka Chugakko is the name of a middle school in Yamagata Prefecture Shirataka town Japan. It was founded in April 2015.	JPL · 85400

85401–85500

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85401 Yamatenclub	1996 TW14	The Yamagata Tenmon Club, established in 1961, consists of a group of amateur astronomers in Japan.	JPL · 85401
85411 Paulflora	1996 VA1	Paul Flora (1922–2009) was an Austrian caricaturist, graphic artist and illustrator. He was born in South Tyrol, Italy, but has lived in Innsbruck, North Tyrol, Austria, since his early years. His first book, Flora's Fauna, was published in 1953. His ironic and sarcastic drawings, sketched in a distinctive, unique style, have gained international recognition.	JPL · 85411
85422 Maedanaoe	1996 XV30	Maeda Naoe (1915–2008), a Japanese-style paint artist from Mochigase in Tottori city. He was active in Kyoto painting circles, and was well known for "the Machiya series of Kyoto".	JPL · 85422
85439 Barbero	1997 EP40	Alessandro Barbero (b. 1959), an Italian historian and novelist.	IAU · 85439
85466 Krastins	1997 JK15	Janis Krastins (born 1943), a Latvian architect and a prolific and enthusiastic contemporary scholar of Riga's architecture. He has contributed more than 600 papers and several books on the subject. A graduate of Riga's Polytechnic Institute, he has lectured at Harvard University on architectural eclecticism and Art Nouveau.	JPL · 85466
85471 Maryam	1997 LD4	Martin Pepper (born 1976), Ryan Pepper (born 1977) and Amber Pepper (born 1980), are the children of one of the co-discoverers at the Needville Observatory in Texas, to which the discovery is officially credited	JPL · 85471
85472 Xizezong	1997 LF4	Xi Zezong (1927–2008), Chinese science historian and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He made many contributions to the history of science, especially to the history of astronomy. His New Catalogue of Ancient Novae (1955) has received wide attention in the contemporary astrophysical community.	JPL · 85472

85501–85600

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85511 Celnik	1997 UR10	Werner E. Celnik (born 1953) studied astrophysics and is a longtime German amateur astronomer. He served as president of the German Vereinigung der Sternfreunde. As an astronomy writer and lecturer he always keeps the interests of beginning amateur astronomers in mind. He is also an experienced astrophotographer	JPL · 85511
85512 Rieugnie	1997 UW10	Yvon (born 1932), Marc (born 1966) and Delphine (born 1960) Rieugnie helped many French amateur astronomers build their own telescopes and mirrors. They also contribute in the Association des Utilisateurs de Détecteurs Electroniques and the Société Astronomique de France	JPL · 85512
85515 Annakukharskaya	1997 UT24	Anna Kukharskaya, the daughter-in-law of the second discoverer.	IAU · 85515
85516 Vaclík	1997 VF	František "Freddy" Vaclík (1942–2010) was an amateur astronomer interested in variable star visual observations and searching for moldavites. He actively took part in astronomical biking "Ebicykl" and served as the long-time chairman of the Czech Astronomical Society in Southern Bohemia	JPL · 85516
85558 Tianjinshida	1998 AB3	Founded in 1958, Tianjinshida (Tianjin Normal University) is a key comprehensive university in Tianjin, with more than 30 000 enrolled students. The university's Tianjin Astrophysics Center offers the only astronomy program among some 60 higher-education institutions in the megalopolis.	IAU · 85558
85559 Villecroze	1998 AC5	Jean-Louis Villecroze, husband of Canadian astronomer Susan Banh who discovered this minor planet	JPL · 85559
85564 Emilia	1998 BU7	Emilia Colombini (born 2020) is the first daughter of Federico Colombini and Claudia Guarnieri.	IAU · 85564
85585 Mjolnir	1998 FG2	In Norse mythology, Mjölnir is the hammer of Thor, god of thunder and defender of the world. Forged by the dwarf Eitri, the hammer had the magical power to return when thrown by Thor.	JPL · 85585

85601–85700

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

85701–85800

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85728 Yangfujia	1998 SR75	Yang Fujia (1936–2022), a renowned nuclear physicist, educator, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.	IAU · 85728
85773 Gutbezahl	1998 UF15	Jennifer Gutbezahl (born 1963), American psychologist deeply involved in the evaluation of the NASA Space Science Mission Directorate's education and public outreach programs. Her academic background includes explorations of the human experience from both an artistic and a scientific viewpoint.	JPL · 85773

85801–85900

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85878 Guzik	1999 CF8	T. Gregory Guzik (born 1952), a professor at Louisiana State University who researched cosmic rays while promoting student and public involvement with science for more than 30 years. A founding member of the Highland Road Park Observatory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he developed ballooning programs for training new scientists and engineers.	JPL · 85878

85901–86000

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
85970 Fundaçãoterra	1999 GB4	Fundação Terra is a non-profit and non-governmental organization, whose efforts to help the poorest people in the Northeast region of Brazil have guaranteed their wellness through donations and philanthropic gestures for more than 30 years.	JPL · 85970

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