Names for Big Numbers
Around 1484, N. Chuquet invented the words billion, trillion,
quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, and
nonillion, which he used to denote the second through ninth powers of
a million. So, a billion was 10
12 (or 1,000,000,000,000), and a trillion was
1018.
Around the middle of the 17th century, however, some French arithmeticians started to use these words to instead denote the third through tenth powers of a thousand. This usage eventually became standard in the United States, while the older usage survived in Britain. So, most of the names in the table below stand for different numbers in Britain than they do in America.
On this site, I use the American names for big numbers, unless stated otherwise.
| Name of number | Value (U.S.) | Value (U.K.) |
|---|---|---|
| Thousand | 103
| 103
|
| Million | 106
| 106
|
| Millard | - | 109
|
| Billion | 109
| 1012
|
| Trillion | 1012
| 1018
|
| Quadrillion | 1015
| 1024
|
| Quintillion | 1018
| 1030
|
| Sextillion | 1021
| 1036
|
| Septillion | 1024
| 1042
|
| Octillion | 1027
| 1048
|
| Nonillion | 1030
| 1054
|
| Decillion | 1033
| 1060
|
| Undecillion | 1036
| 1066
|
| Duodecillion | 1039
| 1072
|
| Tredecillion | 1042
| 1078
|
| Quattuordecillion | 1045
| 1084
|
| Quindecillion | 1048
| 1090
|
| Sexdecillion | 1051
| 1096
|
| Septendecillion | 1054
| 10102
|
| Octodecillion | 1057
| 10108
|
| Novemdecillion | 1060
| 10114
|
| Vigintillion | 1063
| 10120
|
| Googol | 10100
| 10100
|
| Centillion | 10303
| 10600
|
Centillion is the highest lexicographically recognized named number in the English language.
If you're interested in this page, you may also find Greek metric prefixes interesting as well.
Last updated March 30, 2003. URL: http://www.stormloader.com/ajy/bignum.html For questions or comments email James Yolkowski. Math Lair home page