Read Who is this Sankey guy? (sankey-diagrams.com)
Sankey diagrams are named after Captain Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey.
Here is some biographical information on Mr. Sankey:
Matthew H. Sankey was an engineer from Ireland. He was born on November 9, 1853 in Nenagh, co. Tipperary (other sources have him being born in Modeshill, co. Tipperary or ...