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Originally Posted by champion_munch
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Herschel had originally intended to call it "George" in honour of the King, and for many years it was known as "Herschel". Astrologers associate the planet with sudden change and revolution, and say that Uranus had no influence prior to it's discovery (which is just as well, because earlier astrologers should have known about it if it did).
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Conflicting sources. :P
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The discoverer had the honor of christening the planet, and Herschel proposed Georgium Sidus (George's Star) in honor of King George III. However, the French mathematician who had helped to calculate the orbit proposed the name Herschel, while Johann Bode, editor of the Astronomical Yearbook for Berlin, suggested Uranus to keep the planet names tied to mythology. Georgium Sidus was quite unpopular outside of England, being named for George III, whom the American colonists had declared a tyrant, and against whom they had recently fought their war for independence.
The name Uranus was immediately accepted in Germany, and eventually found favor in France and the rest of the world. Yet for the next 60 years in England, Herschel's discovery was referred to as the Georgian Planet.
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From .....
here
Ya'll's pedanticness, though honorable, is making this more interesting, albeit, somewhat less comical.
It was King George III that made Herschel Royal Astronomer. Herschel, supposedly, wanted to honor him for this act.
Herschel thought it was a comet originally. Olber realized the orbit was more planetary. So, in summary, Herschel called it a star, "Sidus", thinking it was a comet but it was really a planet (one which is half-way upside down
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A French mathematician helped with the orbit and promoted, apparently, the Herschel name.
It was the German which settled it. Another English, French and German affair. :P