diff --git a/package/AUTHORS b/package/AUTHORS
index 79e2ddc5643..355371703a6 100644
--- a/package/AUTHORS
+++ b/package/AUTHORS
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ Chronological list of authors
   - Luís Pedro Borges Araújo
   - Abhishek A. Kognole
   - Rocco Meli
+  - Lily Wang
   
 External code
 -------------
diff --git a/package/CHANGELOG b/package/CHANGELOG
index ceaa559a408..2814d88f8cc 100644
--- a/package/CHANGELOG
+++ b/package/CHANGELOG
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ The rules for this file:
 mm/dd/yy micaela-matta, xiki-tempula, zemanj, mattwthompson, orbeckst, aliehlen,
          dpadula85, jbarnoud, manuel.nuno.melo, richardjgowers, mattwthompson,
          ayushsuhane, picocentauri, NinadBhat, bieniekmateusz, p-j-smith, Lp0lp,
-         IAlibay, tyler.je.reddy, aakognole, RMeli 
+         IAlibay, tyler.je.reddy, aakognole, RMeli, lilyminium
 
   * 0.20.0
 
 Enhancements
+  * improved atom element guessing in topology.guessers to check for elements
+    after the first element (#2313)
   * added the zero-based index selection keyword (Issue #1959)
   * added position averaging transformation that makes use of the 
     transformations API (PR #2208)
diff --git a/package/MDAnalysis/topology/guessers.py b/package/MDAnalysis/topology/guessers.py
index 748ed429c14..a9b52c36198 100644
--- a/package/MDAnalysis/topology/guessers.py
+++ b/package/MDAnalysis/topology/guessers.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 import warnings
+import re
 
 from ..lib import distances
 from . import tables
@@ -88,7 +89,6 @@ def guess_types(atom_names):
     return np.array([guess_atom_element(name) for name in atom_names], dtype=object)
 
 
-
 def guess_atom_type(atomname):
     """Guess atom type from the name.
 
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ def guess_atom_type(atomname):
     return guess_atom_element(atomname)
 
 
+NUMBERS = re.compile(r'[0-9]') # match numbers
+SYMBOLS = re.compile(r'[\*\+\-]')  # match *, +, -
+
 def guess_atom_element(atomname):
     """Guess the element of the atom from the name.
 
@@ -127,13 +130,22 @@ def guess_atom_element(atomname):
     try:
         return tables.atomelements[atomname]
     except KeyError:
-        if atomname[0].isdigit():
-            # catch 1HH etc
-            try:
-                return atomname[1]
-            except IndexError:
-                pass
-        return atomname[0]
+        # strip symbols and numbers
+        no_symbols = re.sub(SYMBOLS, '', atomname)
+        name = re.sub(NUMBERS, '', no_symbols).upper()
+        while name:
+            if name in tables.elements:
+                return name
+            if name[:-1] in tables.elements:
+                return name[:-1]
+            if name[1:] in tables.elements:
+                return name[1:]
+            if len(name) <= 2:
+                return name[0]
+            name = name[:-1]  # probably element is on left not right
+
+        # if it's numbers
+        return no_symbols
 
 
 def guess_bonds(atoms, coords, box=None, **kwargs):
diff --git a/package/MDAnalysis/topology/tables.py b/package/MDAnalysis/topology/tables.py
index fa68fa83e77..62886ee6823 100644
--- a/package/MDAnalysis/topology/tables.py
+++ b/package/MDAnalysis/topology/tables.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ def kv2dict(s, convertor=str):
         d[values[0]] = convertor(values[1])
     return d
 
+
 #: Table with hard-coded special atom names, used for guessing atom types
 #: with :func:`MDAnalysis.topology.core.guess_atom_element`.
 TABLE_ATOMELEMENTS = """
@@ -173,6 +174,11 @@ def kv2dict(s, convertor=str):
 #: with :func:`MDAnalysis.topology.core.guess_atom_type`.
 atomelements = kv2dict(TABLE_ATOMELEMENTS)
 
+elements = ['H',
+            'LI', 'BE', 'B', 'C', 'N', 'O', 'F',
+            'NA', 'MG', 'AL', 'P', 'SI', 'S', 'CL',
+            'K']
+
 #: Plain-text table with atomic masses in u.
 TABLE_MASSES = """
 # masses for elements in atomic units (u)
diff --git a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/topology/test_guessers.py b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/topology/test_guessers.py
index 3a5fa05c6ef..cf7c69e8c1e 100644
--- a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/topology/test_guessers.py
+++ b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/topology/test_guessers.py
@@ -79,6 +79,20 @@ def test_guess_atom_element_singledigit(self):
     def test_guess_atom_element_1H(self):
         assert guessers.guess_atom_element('1H') == 'H'
         assert guessers.guess_atom_element('2H') == 'H'
+    
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('name, element', (
+        ('AO5*', 'O'),
+        ('F-', 'F'),
+        ('HB1', 'H'),
+        ('OC2', 'O'),
+        ('1he2', 'H'),
+        ('3hg2', 'H'),
+        ('OH-', 'O'),
+        ('HO', 'H'),
+        ('he', 'H')
+    ))
+    def test_guess_element_from_name(self, name, element):
+        assert guessers.guess_atom_element(name) == element
 
 
 def test_guess_charge():