Tungsten is a rare metal that is very hard. Originally it received its name from "tung stone", which in Swedish means "heavy stone". Its alternative name is Wolfram and this is the reason for the chemical symbol W. Tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals, 3422 °C or 6192 °F. It is also very hard and its carbide (WC) is used in cutting tools.

The reason for the two names is that it was first discovered in 1781 and named tungsten and when it was purified in 1783 it was renamed wolfram (or volfram). Today the name "Wolfram" is more popular in European languages, but for unknown reasons, in English, the term "tungsten" is used. The chemical term, however, is W.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org