namesake

[neym-seyk]

noun

1. a person or thing named after another or whose name is given to another person or thing.

   Little Dora lay asleep in the arms of her namesake, great-aunt Dora.

   The memory of Robert and Signe McMichael is honored in their namesake, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

2. a person or thing having the same name as another.

   The cities of Hyderabad, Pakistan, and Hyderabad, India, are namesakes.

namesake

/ ˈneɪmˌseɪk /

noun

1. a person or thing named after another

2. a person or thing with the same name as another

Word History and Origins

Origin of namesake¹

First recorded in 1640–50; alteration of name's ( name + 's ¹ ) sake ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of namesake¹

C17: probably a shortening of the phrase describing people connected for the name's sake

Example Sentences

Woody and Christopher were the namesakes of Johnson’s surviving siblings, the former a prominent Republican fundraiser and owner of the New York Jets.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

She’s the namesake of the exhibit “Cha-Rie Tang: 48 Years of Artistic Innovation in Pasadena,” which opened at the museum Oct.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Matthew Broderick’s namesake character realizes every teen’s fantasy of flouting authority and getting away with it – the essence of rich white kid privilege.

Read more on Salon

Giant Pacific octopuses inhabit the waters of their namesake ocean from Southern California to Alaska.

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The custom Fender Telecaster guitar, named the Vedder Cup, is said to have been played by its namesake for “about an hour” before it was shipped off to T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brand 
• flag 
• label 
• nickname 
• sign 
• signature 
• style 
• term