Hydrogen was discovered by the British chemist Henry Cavendish. Cavendish conducted experiments in which a metal reacted with acids and noticed that the gas produced was easily flammable and made a popping sound when ignited. He called this gas "inflammable air".
The name "hydrogen" comes from the Greek words "hydor" meaning water and "genao" meaning to produce, i.e., "water-forming". Indeed, when hydrogen burns, water is formed. This name was proposed by A. Lavoisier in 1779.