Belgian priest Lemaitre apparently got the idea, which “underpins modern cosmology,” two years before Edwin Hubble:
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recommends that the law now be known as the Hubble–Lemaître law. In the 1920s, the Belgian described in French how the expansion of the Universe would cause galaxies to move away from Earth at speeds proportional to their distance. He did this two years earlier than US astronomer Edwin Hubble used his own data to establish the same relationship. Of the 4,060 astronomers who cast votes (out of around 11,072 eligible members) 78% were in favour of the change.Elizabeth GIbney, “Belgian priest recognized in Hubble law name change” at Nature
These name changes, like the downgrading of Pluto to a “dwarf planet,” can be political footballs and insiders hope it doesn’t matter much.
Note: Georges Lemaitre was a fan of Einstein and he is said to have developed the “Cosmic Egg” theory to support Einstein’s work. Fred Hoyle, who thought the theory ridiculous, wisely renamed it the Big Bang, sparing the world many foolish smashed-egg jokes.
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See also: The Big Bang: How did one of the best-attested theories in science become so unpopular?
The Big Bang: Put simply, the facts are wrong.