D’Alembert already called the curve a lemniscate in the Encyclopédie (1765, vol. 9, p. 382, fig. 41) which is probably where Gerono got his terminology. Cramer apparently called it a huit-de-chiffre (1750, p. 9, fig. 8H) or indeed besaceLemniscate “of Gerono” (p. 451, fig. 1421799-1891), which translates as double sack or wallet (Oxford: “A bag having the opening in the middle, and sounds like a receptacle at each end. The wallet ‘with two pouches in it’ was prob. originally slung across the horse.”) The first two uses go back at least to Bragelongne, in (1732, p. 164)misnomer:
- D’Alembert already called the curve ($a^2y^2=a^2x^2-x^4$) a lemniscate in the Encyclopédie (1765, vol. 9, p. 382, fig. 41). That’s likely where Gerono got a terminology which goes back at least to Bragelongne (1732, p. 164):
Toutes les Courbes algébriques (...) rentrent en elles-mêmes, ou s’étendent à l’infini. Celles qui rentrent en elles-mêmes peuvent être appellées Ovales (...) Ces Ovales sont ou simples comme l’Ellipse ordinaire (...), ou composées (...) & parmi ces Ovales composées il y en a qui se noüent en forme de ruban, & on les appelle des Lemniscates, nom qui leur a été imposé par les illustres Géomètres de Bâle.
and (1733, p. 45):
- Cramer had studied it under the name huit-de-chiffre (1750, p. 9, fig. 8H) or indeed besace (p. 451, fig. 142), which translates as double sack or wallet (Oxford: “A bag having the opening in the middle, and a receptacle at each end. The wallet ‘with two pouches in it’ was prob. originally slung across the horse.”) The word eight was also in Bragelongne (1733, p. 45):
In short, lemniscate “of Gerono” sounds like a misnomer.
Update:
As found by C. Beenakker in the comments, the more general curve $(x^2-by)^2= a^2(x^2-y^2)$ was called parabola virtualis by Saint-Vincent (1647, pp. 840-864); Teixeira (1905, pp. 195-200) calls our case $b=0$ parabola virtualis recta, and points after Loria (1902, pp. 172-179) to its discussion in Huygens-Sluse correspondence (1657, Nº 404, 406, 407, 414, 416, 424, 430).
- As found by C. Beenakker in the comments, the more general $(x^2-by)^2= a^2(x^2-y^2)$ was studied by Saint-Vincent under the name parabola virtualis (1647, pp. 840-864). Teixeira (1905, pp. 195-200) calls our case $b=0$ parabola virtualis recta, and points after Loria (1902, pp. 172-179) to its discussion by Huygens-Sluse (1657, Nº 404, 406, 407, 414, 416, 424, 430).