Eponym

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɛpənɪm/

Definitions

1. A name associated with a particular person that serves as a reference for an object, institution, or concept originated from their identity
2. A term or title that derives from the name of an individual, indicating their contribution to a particular field, object, or idea
3. An individual whose personal name is used to identify a place, object, or concept

Etymology: The word "eponym" arrived in English by way of French, where "éponyme" was used for a person whose name was given to something. Its ultimate source is Ancient Greek "epṓnumos," an adjective built from "epí," meaning "upon" or "over," and "ónuma," meaning "name." Put together, it described something that was named upon or after someone, and the Greeks used the form for a figure whose name a city, tribe or month carried. Athens, for example, was ruled by annually chosen officials whose names were used to date the year, which is why the word had such a natural fit with public life. The Latin "epōnymus" carried the adjective into the Roman world, and French later turned the adjective into a noun for the person being honoured. English borrowed that noun, so the word has come to mean the person whose name lends itself to a thing rather than the thing itself. Its modern sense has spread into science, where species, diseases and units are often named for their discoverers.

Synonyms: namesake, title