Johann Elert Bode
The designation L2 has a tangled history. This star and another were both labelled with "L" by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille when he created the constellation Puppis within Argo Navis. The two stars were labelled as "1.L" and "2.L" by Johann Elert Bode in his star catalogue published in 1801. Later authors used L1 and L2, usually with numeric subscripts (i.e. L1 and L2), but occasionally as superscripts. The subscripted designation is now universally used where typography allows for subscripts.