Italy Pushes to Rename the Volt in Honor of Volta

The Italian government wants to push for the international unit of electrical potential to be renamed from volt to volta in honor of physicist Alessandro Volta, one of the most important scientists in the country’s history, Politico reported.

The proposal is backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet, which is presenting it as part of a wider effort to strengthen Italy’s scientific heritage on the international stage.

Volta is best known for inventing the voltaic pile, a forerunner of the modern battery, and for discovering methane. His name later became the basis for the volt, the SI unit of electrical potential. Italian officials argue that the current form is an anglicized version of the scientist’s surname and should be replaced by the authentic Italian form, volta.

Alessio Butti, Italy’s undersecretary for digital technology, discussed the proposal in Paris with Annette Koo, director general of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). Butti argued that several scientific units named after historical figures have retained their full surnames, such as hertz, newton and watt.

According to the Italian government, the proposal is not merely a linguistic adjustment, but a symbolic recognition of a scientist whose discoveries had a major impact on modern technology and electrical engineering.

Any change would first have to be approved nationally before Italy could seek support from other BIPM member states. The proposal could be put to a vote at the General Conference on Weights and Measures, which is scheduled to meet from 13 to 15 October 2026.

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