Brout-Englert-Higgs, SM Scalar boson or BEHGHK? Scientists push to rename Higgs boson (but the alternatives aren't too snappy) Higgs boson, discovered last year, is what gives particles their mass Named after Professor Peter Higgs, who predicted its existence in 1964 But other scientists involved in research campaign to be credited for work Icon: British scientist Peter Higgs has given his name to the Higgs boson, but other physicists are pushing to change the particle's title The discovery of the Higgs boson is one of the greatest scientific landmarks of recent years - but would it be so iconic if the particle were called Brout-Englert-Higgs, the SM Scalar boson or BEHGHK? Rival scientists have launched a campaign to rename the so-called 'God particle', claiming that British physicist Peter Higgs does not deserve all the credit for the breakthrough discovery. And while it may not seem to be a particularly burning issue, its importance is increased by the fact that this year's Nobel Prize could be riding on the outcome of the dispute. The Higgs boson, whose discovery was announced last year, is crucial to scientists' understanding of physics as it explains why particles have mass. Its existence was predicted in a 1964 paper by Professor Higgs, from Edinburgh University, and it has been known by his name ever since. He has long acknowledged that he is just one of six researchers involved in formulating the theory of the boson, and now one of the other scientists is lobbying for its name to be changed to reflect this, according to the Sunday Times. While most British institutions have dismissed the campaign as pointless given the popular fame of the Higgs boson, it has gained some traction abroad, with a conference in France trying to ban speakers from referring to the particle by its usual name. The most popular alternative name is 'Brout-Englert-Higgs', in homage to Belgian scientists Robert Brout and François Englert, who published a paper on the topic shortly before Professor Higgs did so. Another possibility is to call it the 'BEHGHK' (pronounced 'berk'), taking account of the contribution by Gerald Guralnik, Carl Hagen and Tom Kibble, from Imperial College London. Discovery: A diagram of the experiment in smashing particles together which helped find the boson Claim: Carl Hagen, who helped to predict the existence of the boson, wants more credit for his work At a conference last month in Moriond in France, participants were asked to avoid the term 'Higgs boson' and call the particle the 'SM Scalar boson' instead. One of those campaigning to change the particle's name is Professor Hagen, 76, who said: 'It should not be called Higgs. The rest of us are fighting not just for our ego but for our place in the annals of physics. Professor Englert, 80, has also joined the fight, saying he wanted to pay tribute to his colleague Professor Brout, who died in 2011. 'Higgs is the wrong name for this particle because the paper where the mechanism and structure was first set out was ours,' he told the Sunday Times. Maybe the name should not matter but it is not pleasant if you have done important work to be ignored. Facility: The machinery at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland where the boson was discovered The row over the name of the boson will take a more serious turn in October, when the particle's discoverers will be leading candidates to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. The prize, worth more than $1million, can be shared by up to three people, but it is currently unclear who might be eligible to receive the award alongside Professor Higgs, 83. Many scientists have resisted the push to change the name of the Higgs boson, pointing out that the physicist after whom it was named was the first to predict the existence of a previously unknown particle. Professor Kibble, 80, dismissed calls to acknowledge him and his colleagues by renaming the particle, saying: 'The name Higgs boson has been in common use for 40 years and it is silly to try to change it. There is no chance that any of the longer names on offer will ever be in everyday use. Professor Higgs himself has not publicly commented on the controversy. The hunt for the boson was closely followed by the media and the public after the 17-mile-wide Large Hadron Collider was built in Switzerland at a cost of £6.2billion in an attempt to find it. The announcement of its probable discovery in July last year seemed to confirm the validity of the 'Standard Model' of particle physics which has been built up over the past decades.