W and Z boson overview
W boson is named after the word "weak" of weak nuclear force. The Z boson is semi-humorously named as "the last particle to be discovered". Another argument is named because the Z boson has zero charge.
There are two types of W bosons, with unit charges of +1 (W +) and −1 (W−), respectively. W + is the antiparticle of W−. The Z boson (Z0) is electrically neutral and is its own antiparticle. These three particles are very short-lived, with a half-life of about 3 seconds.