big name

¹ American  

noun

1. a person who has a preeminent public reputation in a specified field.

   He's a big name in education.

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big-name ² American  

[big-neym] / ˈbɪgˌneɪm /

adjective

1. having a widespread public reputation as a leader in a specified field; famous.

   a big-name doctor; a big-name actress.

2. of, relating to, or composed of a big-name person or persons.

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big name British  

noun

1. informal

   1. a famous person

   2. ( as modifier )

      a big-name performer

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Etymology

Origin of big name¹

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

Origin of big-name²

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

In alloys, a big name is ATI, a maker of high-performance titanium, nickel-based, and other alloys.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Dubois could also boost her status with a fight against American Alycia Baumgardner, a big name in the United States.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

"I think now, because it's presumably closer to the end than the beginning of Bake Off, it needs a big name to draw people back."

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

The read-through for one big name in particular — ConocoPhillips — stood out for analysts at Citi as they see 8% upside for shares if Venezuela pays up on a long-overdue debt.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

A big name for such a little guy.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin