Izibane zeNeon zithathwe kwigama lesiNgesi elithi "neon light." Igama elithi "neon" yinguqulelo ye "neon," kwaye iye yaba ligama eliqhelekileyo.
Ukuphuhliswa kwezibane ze-neon kunokulandelwa kuphando lwe-British physicist kunye nekhemisti uMichael Faraday malunga nokukhutshwa kwegesi. Xa umsinga wombane udlula kwirhasi equlethe inani elincinci leeyoni ezilungileyo nezingalunganga, uphenjelelwa yimitha ye-ultraviolet, imitha ye-cosmic, kunye nemilinganiselo yemitha ye-radioactive. Ngaphantsi kombane osetyenzisiweyo ophezulu ngokwaneleyo, ukuhamba kwangoku kunye nokungqubana neemolekyuli zegesi ezingathathi hlangothi, ezibangela ukuba ii-molecule ezingathathi hlangothi zibe yi-ionize, ngaloo ndlela iphindaphinda inani leeyoni. Ukuhamba kwangoku ngegesi kukhatshwa yinto yokukhutshwa okukhanyayo, eyaziwa ngokuba yi-luminescence. Umbala wokukhanya uyahluka ngokuxhomekeke kwigesi. Ithiyori kaFaraday kunye nempumelelo yovavanyo yabeka isiseko esiluqilima sophuhliso lobuchwepheshe bokukhanya kwe-neon.
