From Middle English Vulcan , Vulcanus , Wlcan , from Old English Ulcanus ( genitive ), from Classical Latin Vulcānus , probably from Etruscan although very unclear, but unknown meaning and further origin (see more in Latin entry). Doublet of bolcane and volcano .
Etymology 1, proper noun sense 2.5 (“hypothetical planet”) is a semantic loan from French Vulcan , coined by French physicist, mathematician and astronomer Jacques Babinet in 1846 , who proposed this name after the god for a planet close to the Sun.
Noun senses etymology 1 1 (“blacksmith; metalworker”) , etymology 1 2 (“one who is lame”) , and etymology 1 3 (“fire”) are allusions to Vulcan as the god of fire and metalworking and his lameness. Compare Middle French Vulcan ( “ blacksmith; metalworker ” ) , also attested in early modern French meaning “ fire ” in apparently isolated use.
Etymology 1, noun sense 4 (“volcano”) is from Middle English wlcane , originally after Middle French Vulcan , wlcan , and chiefly after Spanish volcán in subsequent use, ultimately arising from Latin Vulcānus and Italian Vulcano as a name for Mount Etna and one or more of the Aeolian Islands (with active volcanoes on the islands now called Vulcano and Stromboli), probably after Arabic بُرْكَان ( burkān , “ volcano ” ) , ultimately reflecting the Latin and Italian place names.