I-nitrogen iyinhlanganisela yamakhemikhali enophawu N nenombolo ye-athomu 7. Yatholwa okokuqala futhi yahlukaniswa ngudokotela waseScotland uDaniel Rutherford ngo-1772. isikweletu ngoba umsebenzi wakhe ushicilelwe kuqala. Igama elithi nitrogène laphakanyiswa usokhemisi waseFrance uJean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal ngo-1790 ngenkathi kutholakala ukuthi i-nitrogen yayikhona ku-nitric acid kanye nama-nitrate. U-Antoine Lavoisier uphakamise esikhundleni igama elithi azote, elivela esiGrekini sakudala: ἀζωτικός "akukho kuphila", njengoba kuyigesi edonsa umoya; leli gama lisetshenziswa esikhundleni sezilimi eziningi, ezinjengesiFulentshi, isiNtaliyane, isiRashiya, isiRomania, isiPutukezi kanye nesiTurkish, futhi livela emagameni esiNgisi amanye amakhemikhali e-nitrogen afana ne-hydrazine, azides kanye ne-azo compounds. I-nitrogen yilungu elilula kunazo zonke eqenjini le-15 letafula lezikhathi, ngokuvamile elibizwa ngama-pnictogens. Kuyinto ejwayelekile endaweni yonke, elinganiselwa cishe kwisikhombisa ngobuningi eMilky Way naseSolar System. Ekushiseni okujwayelekile nokucindezela, ama-athomu amabili e-element abopha ukwakha i-dinitrogen, igesi ye-diatomic engenambala futhi engenaphunga ne-formula N2. IDinitrogen yakha cishe u-78% womkhathi womhlaba, okwenza kube yinto engakahlanganiswa kakhulu.