Apparently, it comes from the word "Zhalen" which is the German word for "Number". Apparently this word was chosen by N.Bourbaki, a group of mathematicians aiming to write a thorough unified account of all mathematics.
Source:
http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/QQ/database/QQ.09.01/stephanie3.html
More information on N.Bourbaki group:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Bourbaki
Conventionally in chemistry, the atomic number is represented by the symbol 'Z'.
What is the only letter not appearing on the perodic table as a symbol or part of the symbol
There are two on the Periodic Table of Elements, both transition metals: Zinc, number 30 and Zirconium, number 40.
The letter in chemistry that represents heat is the letter Q. Q is the heat of the reaction that has occurred.
The chemical symbol for Uranium is the letter "U".
Z is the symbol for integer. It is the initial letter of Zahlen, the German word meaning "number"
The set of integers is represented by Z.
The symbol for the set of integers is Z from the German word "zahl" = integer.
The symbol for the set of integers is Z. This comes from the German Zahl, which means integer.
Z.
The symbol for the set of integers is Z and it comes from the German word Zahlen, meaning numbers.
ℤ is the symbol for the set of all integers, that is {..., -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, ...}.
Because Zahlen is German for "numbers."
The symbol is Z from the German word for integers, zahl.
Any symbol can be used to denote a set of integers. The set of all integers is denoted by Z, and the set of natural numbers by N.
The symbol is Z, which comes from the German word Zahl, meaning integer
Zero