What is an eponym and what are some examples?

An eponym is a real or fictitious person, or a thing, after which someone or something is named. The term is back-formed from the word eponymous, originating from the Greek word eponymos, meaning giving name. Eponyms are frequently used across fields such as time periods, places, biological nomenclature, innovations, and works of art.

What we know

• An eponym is defined as a person or thing after which someone or something is named. [1, 2]
• John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, serves as the eponym for the sandwich. [2]
• The word eponym was back-formed from the adjective eponymous, derived from the Greek eponymos. [4]
• Eponyms are commonly used in categories including time periods, places, innovations, biological nomenclature, and astronomical objects. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedWhere does the word eponymous come from?
• a case in pointHow are eponyms used in biological nomenclature?
• how we knowWhat is the history of the sandwich name?
• the bigger pictureWhat naming conventions apply to astronomical objects?
• an unexpected connectionHow do political scandals get named after suffixes like gate?

Sources

• [1]eponym (Wikidata Q204335) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Eponym · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Clinton–Lewinsky scandal · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]List of eponyms (A–K) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Palestine (region) · CC BY-SA 4.0