Asteroids named after people called Jean
👶 Jean as a baby name🐶 Jean as a dog name
(2221) Chilton
Named in honor of Jean Chilton McCrosky, wife of Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Richard E. McCrosky.Discovered 25 August 1976 by Harvard Observatory, Harvard
(2267) Agassiz
Named in memory of Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz (1807-1873), Swiss-born naturalist, later a professor at Harvard, where he was the leading U.S. opponent of Darwin; his son Alexander Agassiz (1835-1910), marine zoologist and oceanographer; and his grandson George Russell Agassiz (1862-1951), for many years a friend and benefactor of the Harvard Observatory and for whom the Agassiz Station is named.Discovered 9 September 1977 by Harvard Observatory, Harvard
(3821) Sonet
Jean Sonet (1908-1987), a Belgian Jesuit, was a specialist in Romance languages, professor and later rector (1953-1958) of the University of Namur. From 1958 to his death he was Vice-Rector of the Catholic University of Cordoba (Argentina), where the discoverer met him. The name was suggested by A. Sonet.Discovered 6 September 1985 by H. Debehogne, La Silla
(8116) Jeanperrin
Named in memory of the French physicist Jean Perrin (1870-1942), who studied Brownian motion and thereby confirmed the atomic nature of matter. At the same time he formed his ideas about the atom and its electrons, envisaging an atom as a small solar system, thereby anticipating the model by Rutherford. In 1926 he was honored with the Nobel prize in physics. The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the Palais de la Découverte in Paris were created through his efforts. French astronomers especially honor him for his creation of the Observatoire de Haute Provence in 1936.Discovered 17 April 1996 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(8604) Vanier
Jean Vanier (b. 1928) is a philosopher, theologian, author and teacher. As the founder of two global communities (L'Arche, Faith and Light) for people with intellectual disabilities, he presents a compelling vision of a fully human life, lived in compassionate community.Discovered 12 August 1929 by C. J. Krieger, Mount Hamilton
(9138) Murdoch
Named in memory of Jean Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), prolific novelist and philosopher, whose 26 moralist-existentialist fictional works in 41 years earned her a place among the leading twentieth-century writers in the English language. Already suffering from Alzheimer's disease when her last novel was published in 1995, Murdoch was lovingly cared for by her husband, the critic John Bayley, whose recent Elegy for Iris is a penetrating study of conflicting emotions.Discovered 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(9968) Serpe
Jean Nicolas François Jules Serpe (1914–2001) was the theoretical-physics professor of the discoverer at the University of Liège and was a member of the Académie royale de Belgique.Discovered 4 May 1992 by H. Debehogne, La Silla
(10111) Fresnel
Named in memory of Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788-1827), French physicist who constructed the so-called “Fresnel lens”, following an original idea by Buffon (1748) of dividing a lens surface into concentric rings. By studying the aberration of light, he removed a number of objections to the wave theory.Discovered 25 July 1992 by E. W. Elst, Caussols
(10215) Lavilledemirmont
The work of French poet Jean de La Ville de Mirmont (1864–1914) evoked images of unreachable horizons and bitterness. His poetic opera L'Horizon Chimérique (Fanciful Horizon) inspired the music of Gabriel Fauré. The name was suggested by R. and A. Soubie.Discovered 20 September 1997 by L. Sarounova, Ondrejov
(10440) van Swinden
Dutch physicist Jean H. van Swinden (1746-1823) was known for his contributions in the field of terrestrial magnetism in The Netherlands and for his study of the aurora borealis. He also contributed to the introduction of the metric system in Europe. The name was suggested by W. A. Fröger.Discovered 17 October 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(12286) Poiseuille
Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille (1797-1869) was a French physicist and physiologist who, through his work on the pressure of blood, became interested in the resistance of the flow of viscous fluids in small tubes. This led to the formulation of the Hagen-Poiseuille Law. The unit of viscosity is named the poise.Discovered 8 April 1991 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(12498) Dragesco
Jean Dragesco (b. 1920) is an accomplished biologist and amateur astronomer. For many years, using various telescopes, he worked in Africa, where he made exquisite high-resolution photographs of the solar system that have inspired many amateur astronomers around the world.Discovered 26 March 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(12611) Ingres
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) was a French painter whose work embraced both classicism and romanticism. Under the influence of J. L. David, he made large religious and historical paintings.Discovered 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(13087) Chastellux
François-Jean de Chastellux (1734-1788), author of De la félicité publique (1757), was a founder of the social sciences. He sought to determine whether society is susceptible to amelioration, if not to perfection. He cited America as an example of man's ability to progress through liberty, reason and equality.Discovered 30 July 1992 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(13115) Jeangodin
Jean Godin des Odonais (1713–1792) was the nephew of Louis Godin, one of the members of the La Condamine expedition in Peru. In May 1736 he joined the expedition and married Isabel de Casa Mayor, an heiress from a very wealthy family. Back in France he composed a grammar for the Quichua (Kichwa) language.Discovered 17 September 1993 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(13118) La Harpe
Jean François de la Harpe (1739-1803) was a French writer and a bitter and caustic man. Although unsuccessful in his other writings, he will be always remembered for his Abrégé de l´Histoire générale des Voyages (1780), a 32-volume set that gives a complete review of famous voyages during historical times.Discovered 20 October 1993 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(13499) Steinberg
Jean Louis Steinberg (b. 1922) is a co-founder of the Nançay Radio Observatory and Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was among the first in France to launch space-astronomy missions using sounding rockets and satellites to study the physics of ionospheric plasma and the terrestrial magnetosphere.Discovered 1 October 1986 by CERGA, Caussols
(13962) Delambre
French astronomer Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1749-1822) observed the 1796 transit of Mercury, although his colleagues had given up the task due to cloudy weather. In June 1792 he started the measurement of the Dunkerque-Rodez sector of the meridian to Barcelona using triangulation points around Paris.Discovered 3 August 1991 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(14365) Jeanpaul
Jean Paul (Friedrich Richter, 1763-1825) was a German writer and poet. His novels and stories are in an ebullient baroque style, but with philosophical humor, juxtaposing idealism and reality. He lived a short time in Weimar and related his impressions there in his chief work, Titan.Discovered 8 September 1988 by F. Borngen, Tautenburg
(16147) Jeanli
Named in honor of Jean Li for achievement as a finalist in the 2002 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. Jean is a student at the Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland.Discovered 10 December 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(17029) Cuillandre
Jean Charles Cuillandre (b. 1968) is a French astronomer whose interest in CCDs has always been very strong. He worked on all the generations of CCD arrays used at the CFHT telescope, including the 12K camera, with which he has produced exquisite color pictures of many celestial objects.Discovered 17 March 1999 by ODAS, Caussols
(17431) Sainte-Colombe
Jean de Sainte-Colombe (1640-1700), a French composer and celebrated viola da gamba player, added a seventh string on the bass viol. A teacher of Marin Marais, he wrote more than 60 concertos for two viols and more than 170 pieces for the seven-string viol.Discovered 3 September 1989 by E. W. Elst, Haute Provence
(17952) Folsom
Jean Marie Folsom (b. 1985) was awarded fourth place in the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for her environmental science project. She attends the Yorktown High School, Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.Discovered 10 May 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(20228) Jeanmarcmari
Jean Marc Mari (b. 1957) is an electronics engineer whose help and skill have been very valuable in constructing the first CCD camera for the OCA Schmidt Telescope. An amateur astronomer, he has traveled to see several total eclipses of the sun.Discovered 3 December 1997 by ODAS, Caussols
(21380) Devanssay
Jean Benoit De Vanssay (b. 1970) is a French amateur astronomer and optician. As an amateur he has made several observing missions in the large amateur facilities in France (Pic du Midi, St. Véran), and as a professional has worked on optics for some of the largest telescopes in the world.Discovered 27 February 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(23443) Kikwaya
Jean Baptiste Kikwaya Eluo (b. 1965) is a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Staff Astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. Using optical meteor measurements, he estimates the bulk densities of smaller meteoroids through numerical ablation models.Discovered 4 October 1986 by E. Bowell, Anderson Mesa
(26275) Jefsoulier
Jean François Soulier (b. 1966) is a specialized educator and dedicated comet observer who has been an amateur astronomer since a very early age. In 2008 he founded the association “des étoiles pour tous” (“stars for all”) which aims to bring astronomy to handicapped persons.Discovered 16 September 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(27302) Jeankobis
Jean A. Kobis mentored a finalist in the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high-school seniors. She teaches at the Williamsville High School East, East Amherst, New York, U.S.A.Discovered 7 January 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(27724) Jeannoel
Alexandre-Jean Noël (1752–1832) was a French landscape and marine painter. In 1769, he participated in the scientific expedition to San José del Cabo (Baja California, Mexico) for the Venus Transit. He served as the expedition's illustrator, and drew the funeral of Chappe d'Auteroche near his observatory.Discovered 21 August 1990 by E. W. Elst, Haute Provence
(29647) Poncelet
Jean Victor Poncelet (1788-1867) was a French mathematician and engineer and one of the founders of projective geometry. He introduced the concepts of points and lines at infinity and imaginary points, leading to greater generality in the statement of geometric theorems.Discovered 17 November 1998 by P. G. Comba, Prescott
(30130) Jeandillman
Jean Dillman mentored a finalist in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search (STS), a science competition for high school seniors. She teaches at the California High School, San Ramon, California.Discovered 29 March 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(31174) Rozelot
Jean Pierre Rozelot (b. 1942) is a solar astronomer who has worked at Pic du Midi Observatory and at CERGA, which he directed between 1982 to 1988. He has been active in the teaching of astronomy but also the popularization of astronomy through the support to various societies and astronomy clubs in the southeast of France.Discovered 6 December 1997 by ODAS, Caussols
(33241) Jeanmedas
Jean Medas (1921–1999) was a French optician. He survived the Dora concentration camp, and after WWII opened a company specializing in astronomical instruments. Over the years, he has been instrumental in the development of amateur astronomy in France, both by importing instruments and planetaria, and by helping amateurs popularize science.Discovered 21 April 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(33335) Guibert
Jean Guibert (b. 1937) is a French astronomer, and the founder and former director of the MAMA (Machine Á Mesurer Automatique) and Centre d´Analyse des Images at Paris Observatory. More recently he has been involved in the development of the Virtual Observatory Paris Data Centre.Discovered 11 November 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(40081) Rault
Jean Louis Rault (b. 1949) is a French amateur radio astronomer who was president of the radio astronomy commission of the Société Astronomique de France from 2008 to 2019. He is responsible for the radio part of the Vigie-Ciel network, which detects the echoes of the GRAVES space surveillance radar.Discovered 25 June 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(48424) Souchay
Jean Souchay (b. 1959), an astronomer at the Paris Observatory, is a specialist on the nutation of the earth's rotation. He also studies the non-principal axis rotation of minor planets and took part in the compilation of d'Alembert's collected works in 1997. He made the discovery observation of this object with the discoverer.Discovered 5 December 1988 by T. Nakamura, Kiso
(55543) Nemeghaire
Jean Nemeghaire (b. 1949) has been an assistant at the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium since 1983. From 1979 to 1983 he was the discoverer's physics teacher and has greatly contributed to his vocation as an astrophysicist.Discovered 8 December 2001 by H. M. J. Boffin, Uccle
(58683) Jeanmouette
Jean Mouette (b. 1958) is a French engineer who worked at the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris from 1984 to 2025. A pioneer in scientific outreach, he filmed eclipses and auroras, produced documentaries, and led IAP’s audiovisual presence, including its YouTube channel, enhancing the institute visibility. Jean received the CNRS Cristal Medal in 2020.Discovered 15 January 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(58734) Jeantarde
Jean Tarde (c. 1561–1636) was a French ecclesiastic and astronomer born in La Roque-Gageac. A supporter of heliocentrism, he studied sunspots for 10 years with a telescope lent by Galileo. Since Jean believed that the Sun was pure, he espoused the idea that sunspots were small planets orbiting close to the Sun, which he called “Bourbon's planets”.Discovered 2 March 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(59793) Clapies
French mathematician and cartographer Jean de Clapiès (1670-1740) was involved with Plantade in the observations of the 1706 total solar eclipse from Montpellier's Babote Tower.Discovered 16 July 1999 by Pises, Pises
(74371) Jeanduprat
Jean Duprat (b. 1968) is a French cosmochemist who is a senior researcher at the Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Paris. He studies isotopic composition of interplanetary material by means of secondary-ion mass spectrometry. Jean was responsible for the curation of the Chang’e 5 lunar samples.Discovered 7 December 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(109435) Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (1938–2012) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer. Using an abstract and often surreal style, he produced a wide range of science fiction and fantasy works. He also contributed storyboards and concept designs to films such as Alien, The Fifth Element, Heavy Metal, The Abyss and Tron.Discovered 22 August 2001 by R. A. Tucker, Goodricke-Pigott
(121865) Dauvergne
Jean Luc Dauvergne (b. 1976) is a French scientific journalist working at the astronomical magazine ciel et espace. He is also a passionate amateur astronomer working frequently with the 1-m telescope team at Pic du Midi observatory to produce excellent quality planetary images.Discovered 10 February 2000 by Colas, F., Cavadore, C., La Silla
(184535) Audouze
Jean Audouze (b. 1940) has worked on cosmic rays, nuclear cosmochronology, explosive nucleosynthetic processes and chemical evolution of galaxies. He directed the Paris Institute of Astrophysics (1978-1989), chaired the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope board (1985-1986) and represents France on the COSPAR board.Discovered 29 August 2005 by B. Christophe, Saint-Sulpice
(221026) Jeancoester
Jean Coester (b. 1939), a colleague of the discoverer for many years, started his career working on the CO2 laser and then moved to optronics, working mainly on infrared detectors.Discovered 28 August 2005 by B. Christophe, Saint-Sulpice
(329935) Prevot
Jean Prévôt (1585-1631) was born in Delémont in Swiss Jura, like the discoverer. Prévôt became a famous physician and professor in Italy at the University of Padua.Discovered 30 July 2005 by M. Ory, Vicques
(335292) Larrey
Dominique-Jean Larrey (1766-1842) was the surgeon of the great army of Napoleon. He created fast-surgery ambulances and triage methods to help soldiers in both French and enemy armies.Discovered 3 August 2005 by Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Sulpice
(552784) Jeanbrahier
Jean Brahier (1917–1996) was the discoverer's grandfather. A carpenter by trade in Lajoux in the Swiss Jura, Jean pushed his grandson to be curious about natural phenomena and to pursue a scientific career.Discovered 6 October 2010 by M. Ory, Vicques
(555955) Lurcat
Jean Lurçat (1892–1966) was a French painter, ceramist and designer of tapestry. The creation of his major work Le Chant du monde, now housed in the old medieval Saint-Jean hospital in Angers (Maine-et-Loire department, France), was inspired by the vision of the Apocalypse Tapestry created in the 14th century.Discovered 20 November 2005 by J.-C. Merlin, Nogales