name
a personal name that you are given when you are born
My name is Manoochehr.
نام من منوچهر است.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Name noun
a member of Lloyd’s, the international group of insurance underwriters based in London. The Names are wealthy people who accept a financial risk in an insurance contract, and in return for this they usually make large profits. Sometimes they can lose a lot of money when events happen which affect insurance companies, such as serious accidents involving ships or planes, or severe weather conditions that cause a lot of damage.
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name
I. name1 S1 W1 /neɪm/ noun
[Word Family: verb: name, rename; adjective: named ≠ unnamed, nameless; noun: name; adverb: namely]
[Language: Old English; Origin: nama]
1. OF A PERSON [countable] what someone is called:
Her name is Mandy Wilson.
What’s your last name?
by the name of something (=called something)
He married a young lady by the name of Sarah Hunt.
under the name (of) something (=using a different name from your real name)
HH Munro wrote under the name Saki.
2. OF A THING OR PLACE [countable] what a thing, organization, or place is called
name of
What’s the name of the street?
The name of the company has changed.
name for
Edo was the ancient name for Tokyo.
The flower’s common name (=name that is used by ordinary people, not its scientific name) is forget-me-not.
3. REPUTATION [singular] the opinion that people have about a person or organization SYN reputation:
He didn’t want to do anything to damage the good name of the company.
The restaurant got a bad name for slow service.
They give the rest of the fans a bad name.
The company has a name for reliability.
make your name/make a name for yourself (=become famous for something)
He quickly made a name for himself in the Parisian art world.
clear your name (=prove that you did not do something bad or illegal)
4. FAMOUS PERSON/COMPANY/PRODUCT [countable] informal a person, company, or product that is very famous or is known by many people
big/famous/household name
some of the biggest names in show business
It made the company into a household name (=a very well-known person or thing).
5. call somebody names to use unpleasant words to describe someone in order to insult or upset them:
The other kids used to call me names.
call somebody all the names under the sun (=use many unpleasant words)
6. in sb’s name/in the name of somebody
a) if something is in someone’s name, it officially belongs to them or is for them to use:
The house is in my husband’s name.
I’ve booked a table in the name of Steinmann.
b) formal as someone else’s official representative:
I claim this land in the name of the King!
7. something has sb’s name on it something that seems to be appropriate for or deserved by a particular person:
The match has England’s name on it (=they will win it).
8. in the name of religion/freedom/science etc using religion, freedom etc as the reason why something is done – used especially when you disapprove of what someone is doing:
cruel experiments on animals carried out in the name of science
the things people do in the name of love
9. have something to your name informal to have or own something – used to emphasize that someone has very little or a lot of something:
He died without a penny to his name (=very poor).
He didn’t have a qualification to his name.
10. the name of the game informal the most important thing in a particular activity or situation:
Quality, that’s the name of the game.
11. cannot put a name to something spoken used to say that someone is not able to say what something is called:
I know the tune but I can’t put a name to it.
12. take sb’s name in vain to talk about someone without showing respect for them:
How dare you take the Lord’s name in vain (=swear using a word such as ‘God’ or ‘Jesus’)?
13. in name only/alone if a situation exists in name only, it does not really exist even though officially people say it does:
a democracy in name only
He was president in name only.
14. in all/everything but name if something is true in all but name, it is really true, even though people do not officially say that it is true:
She was his wife in all but name.
15. sb’s name is mud informal used to say that people are angry with someone because of something he or she has done – used especially humorously:
If anything goes wrong, your name will be mud.
⇒ drag sb’s name through the mud at drag1(10), ⇒ pen name
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
verbs
▪ have a name All their children have French names.
▪ give somebody a name They gave their children unusual names.
▪ use a name (=tell people that you have a particular name) She may be using a false name.
▪ take a name (=choose to have a new name) Are you going to take your husband’s name when you get married?
▪ change your name Many immigrants changed their names to seem more American.
▪ give (somebody) your name (=tell someone your name, especially someone in an official position) I gave my name to the receptionist.
▪ know sb’s name His first name is Tom, but I don’t know his last name.
▪ use sb’s name (=say their name when speaking to them) I didn’t know him well enough to use his first name.
▪ call sb’s name (=say someone’s name loudly, to get their attention) He called Jean’s name, but there was no answer.
▪ sign your name Sign your name here, please.
phrases
▪ call somebody by their first/full etc name (=use that name when you speak to them) Everyone called him by his first name.
▪ go by the name of ... (=be called something by people, often when that is not your real name) As he had long red hair, he went by the name of Red.
▪ know somebody by name (=know their name) The headteacher knew all the children by name.
▪ greet somebody by name (=use someone’s name when you see them) The waiter greeted him by name.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
adjectives
▪ a good name The company wants to maintain its good name.
▪ a bad name Most students feel that both boys and girls deserve a bad name if they sleep around.
verbs
▪ have a name (for something) They have a name for good quality food.
▪ make your name (also make a name for yourself) (=become famous for something) He made a name for himself as a conductor of the Berlin Orchestra.
▪ clear your name (=prove that you have not done something bad or illegal) She was determined to clear her name.
▪ give somebody/something a bad name (=make someone or something have a bad reputation) A scandal like this could give the university a bad name.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ first name (also given name especially American English formal) the name chosen for you by your parents: People usually call each other by their first name. | Please write your given name and your date of birth.
▪ Christian name old-fashioned first name: His Christian name was Joseph.
▪ last name/family name/surname the name that you share with your family or husband. Most English speakers would say last name. Surname sounds slightly formal: Can I have your last name? | Johnson is a common English family name. | At school they used to call each other by their surnames.
▪ middle name the name between your first and last names: Harry Potter’s middle name is James.
▪ full name your first name, middle name, and last name: I need your full name and address.
▪ maiden name a woman’s family name before she married and began using her husband’s name: My mother’s maiden name was Higgins.
▪ married name a woman’s family name after she gets married, if she uses her husband’s name: I don’t know what her married name is.
▪ nickname a name that people call you because of your appearance, personality etc, which is not your real name: At school he was given the nickname ‘Shorty’.
▪ stage name the name that an actor uses which is not their real name: She began acting in her childhood under the stage name Marjorie Moore.
▪ pen name (also pseudonym formal) a name that a writer uses which is not their real name: Mark Twain was his pen name. His real name was Samuel Clemens. | She wrote under the pseudonym of George Eliot.
▪ under an assumed name using a false name in order to hide your real name: He had rented the car under an assumed name.
▪ alias /ˈeɪliəs/ a false name, especially one used by a criminal: He uses a number of aliases.
▪ appellation formal a name which describes something – a very formal use: This fine city justifies its appellation ‘the Pearl of the Orient’.
▪ sobriquet formal a nickname – a very formal use: Jackson gained the sobriquet ‘Stonewall’ at the Battle of Bull Run.
II. name2 S2 W2 verb [transitive]
[Word Family: verb: name, rename; adjective: named ≠ unnamed, nameless; noun: name; adverb: namely]
1. GIVE SOMEBODY A NAME to give someone or something a particular name ⇒ call
name somebody John/Ann etc
We named our daughter Sarah.
name somebody/something after somebody/something (=give someone or something the same name as another person or thing)
He was named after his father.
The street is named after the famous South African leader, Nelson Mandela.
name something for somebody/something American English (=give something the same name as a person or thing)
The college is named for George Washington.
a man/woman etc named something (=someone with a particular name)
some guy named Bob Dylan
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say someone or something is called something rather than named something:
▪ He had a friend called Mick.
2. SAY SB’S OR STH’S NAME to say what the name of someone or something is, especially officially:
The two murder victims have yet to be named.
name somebody as something
The woman who was shot has been named as Mary Radcliff.
She has secret information and is threatening to name names (=name the people who were involved in something, especially something bad or illegal).
They’re a lot better than some airlines I could name.
name and shame British English (=say publicly who is responsible for something illegal that has happened, or who has not achieved a particular standard)
3. CHOOSE SOMEBODY to officially choose someone or something, especially for an important job or prize
name somebody/something (as) something
The film was named best foreign film.
Quinn has been named as the new team manager.
name somebody to something American English:
Fitzgerald was named to the committee by the chairman.
4. to name but a few/a handful/three etc used after a short list of things or people to say that there are many more you could mention
5. you name it (they’ve got it)! spoken used after a list of things to mean that there are many more you could mention:
Clothes, books – you name it, they've got it!
6. name the day/date to decide on a date for your wedding
7. name your price spoken to say how much you are willing to pay for something or sell something for
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
name [name names named naming] noun, verb [neɪm] [neɪm]
noun
1. a word or words that a particular person, animal, place or thing is known by
• What's your name?
• What is/was the name, please? (= a polite way of asking sb's name)
• Please write your full name and address below.
• Do you know the name of this flower?
• Rubella is just another name for German measles.
• Are you changing your name when you get married?
see also assumed name, brand name, code name, family name, filename, first name, forename, household name, maiden name, middle name, nickname, pen-name, pet name, place name, surname, trade name, username
2. usually singular a reputation that sb/sth has; the opinion that people have about sb/sth
• She first made her name as a writer of children's books.
• He's made quite a name for himself (= become famous).
• The college has a good name for languages.
• This kind of behaviour gives students a bad name.
3. (in compound adjectives) having a name or a reputation of the kind mentioned, especially one that is known by a lot of people
• a big-name company
• brand-name goods
see also household name
4. a famous person
• Some of the biggest names in the art world were at the party.
• The event attracted many famous names from the past.
• The movie needs some names in it, if it's going to be successful.
more at answer to the name of sth at answer v., a big noise/shot/name at big adj., call sb names at call v., give a dog a bad name at dog n., drop names at drop v., lend your name to sth at lend, be sb's middle name at middle name, name names at name v., rejoice in the name of at rejoice, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet at rose n.
Word Origin:
Old English nama, noma (noun), (ge)namian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch naam and German Name, from a root shared by Latin nomen and Greek onoma.
Culture:
names
Apart from their surname or last name, most British and American children are given two personal names by their parents, a first name and a middle name. These names are sometimes called Christian names or given names. Some people have only one given name, a few have three or more. Friends and members of a family who are of similar age usually call one another by their first names. In some families young people now also call their aunts and uncles and even their parents by their first names. Outside the family, the expression be on first name terms suggests that the people concerned have a friendly, informal relationship
When writing their name Americans commonly give their first name and their middle initial, e.g. George M Cohan. Both given names are used in full only on formal occasions, e.g. when people get married. In Britain many people sign their name on forms etc. using the initials of both their given names and their surname, e.g. J E Brooks, but may write Joanna Brooks at the end of a letter. The full name (= all given names and surname) is usually only required on official forms.
Parents usually decide on given names for their children before they are born. In some families the oldest boy is given the same name as his father. In the US the word junior or senior, or a number, is added after the name and surname to make it clear which person is being referred to. For example, the son of William Jones Sr (Senior) would be called William Jones Jr (Junior), and his son would be called William Jones III (‚William Jones the third’).
Many popular names come from the Bible, e.g. Jacob, Joshua, Matthew, Mary, Rebecca and Sarah, though this does not imply that the people who choose them are religious. Other people give their children the name of somebody they admire, such as a famous sports personality, or a film or pop star. In Britain the names William and Harry became common again after the sons of Prince Charles were given these names. In the US Chelsea was not a common name for a girl until President Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea came to public attention.
Names such as David, Michael, Paul and Robert for boys and Catherine, Elizabeth and Jane for girls remain popular for many years. Others, e.g. Darrell, Darren, Wayne, Chloe, Jade and Zara, are fashionable for only a short period. Names such as Albert, Herbert, Wilfrid, Doris, Gladys and Joyce are now out of fashion and are found mainly among older people. Some older names come back into fashion and there are now many young women called Amy, Emma, Harriet, Laura and Sophie. The birth announcements columns in newspapers give an indication of the names which are currently popular. In Britain these have included Jack, Joshua and Thomas for boys and Emily, Ellie and Chloe for girls and in the US Jacob, Michael and Joshua for boys and Emily, Emma and Madison for girls
People from Wales, Scotland or Ireland, or those who have a cultural background from outside Britain, may choose from an additional set of names. In the US Jews, African Americans or people of Latin American origin may also choose different names.
Thesaurus:
name noun C
• What's your name?
• Do you know the name of this flower?
title • • surname • • family name • • last name • • first name • • middle name • • full name • • maiden name • • label • • nickname • • pseudonym • • alias •
a/an name/title/first name/label/nickname/pseudonym/alias for sb/sth
use a name/sb's title/sb's surname/your family name/sb's first name/your middle name/your maiden name/a nickname/a pseudonym/an alias
choose/decide on a name/title/first name/middle name
change sb/sth's name/title/surname
More About:
names and titles
Names
Your name is either your whole name or one part of your name: ▪ My name is Maria. ◊ ▪ His name is Tom Smith.
Your last name or family name (also called surname in BrE) is the name that all members of your family share.
Your first name/names (formal forename) is/are the name(s) your parents gave you when you were born. In BrE some people use the expression Christian name(s) to refer to a person’s first name(s).
Your middle name(s) is/are any name your parents gave you other than the one that is placed first. The initial of this name is often used as part of your name, especially in America: ▪ John T. Harvey
Your full name is all your names, usually in the order: first + middle + last name
A woman’s maiden name is the family name she had before she got married. Some women keep this name after they are married and do not use their husband’s name. In North America, married women often use their maiden name followed by their husband’s family name: ▪ Hillary Rodham Clinton. Titles
Mr (for both married and unmarried men)
Mrs (for married women)
Miss (for unmarried women)
Ms (a title that some women prefer to use as it does not distinguish between married and unmarried women)
Doctor, Professor, President, Vice-President, Reverend (or Rev), etc.
The correct way to talk to someone is:
first name, if you know them well: ▪ Hello, Maria.
or title + surname: ▪ Hello, Mr Brown.
or Doctor (medical), Professor, etc. on its own: ▪ Thank you, Doctor. This is only used for a very limited number of titles.
Example Bank:
• ‘Does that name mean anything to you?’ ‘Yes, it does ring a bell= it is familiar.’
• ‘Smith’ is a very common family name.
• All he did was drop names= mention the names of famous people to impress people.
• As the name implies, Oxford was the place at which oxen could ford the river.
• Coca Cola's global brand name recognition
• Detectives believe that a hit man was sent to silence the witness before he could name names= give evidence to the court/police.
• Detectives believe that a hitman was sent to silence the witness before he could name names.
• Do you have a middle name?
• George Eliot was a pen-name; her real name was Mary Ann Evans.
• Have you been taking my name in vain= showing lack of respect when using my name?
• Have you put your name down for the school quiz?
• Have you put your name down for= applied to take part in the school play?
• He goes by the name of Jonno.
• He invoked the name of Freud in support of his argument.
• He is a big name in the world of rock music.
• He made his name writing travel books.
• He put his name to the business= gave it his name.
• He wanted an heir to carry on the family name.
• He was elected Pope in 1978 and took the name of John Paul II.
• He's been in four movies with Spielberg's name attached.
• His full name was William Augustus Grove.
• His name is synonymous with the worst excesses of sixties architecture.
• His name sounds familiar.
• His name was immortalized in 1992 when he scored three goals in the space of five minutes.
• His pet name for her was ‘Fluff’.
• His wife and sister share the same name, Sarah.
• How do you know my name?
• I arrest you in the name= on the authority of the law.
• I asked him his name.
• I couldn't put a name to the face.
• I do not want my name associated with these products.
• I have a bad memory for names and faces.
• I'm afraid I've forgotten your name.
• I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.
• I've heard that name mentioned before.
• If you tell our secret your name will be mud round here.
• If you tell our secret your name will be mud= you will not be popular around here.
• Muhammad Ali's birth name was Cassius Clay.
• Nobody puts their name to a business they are not proud of.
• Please call me by my first name.
• Please enter your user name.
• She decided to keep her maiden name for professional purposes.
• She found him rather irritating to talk to; all he did was drop names.
• She has become a big name in documentary photography.
• She insisted on being called by her full name ‘Clementia’ rather than the pet name ‘Clemmey’.
• She uses a different name in her professional life.
• She was given the name Maria, after her grandmother.
• She's made quite a name for herself.
• Somebody called out her name from below.
• St Petersburg has gone back to its original name.
• Stop calling me names!
• The Brady bill acquired its name from its best-known sponsor, James Brady.
• The Huron people gave their name to one of the Great Lakes.
• The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar and hence carries his name.
• The account is in joint names.
• The area got a bad name after a series of nasty murders.
• The common name for the flower is ‘pineapple lily’.
• The company has a name for reliability.
• The head teacher knows every child in the school by name.
• The invading Franks gave their name to the country in which they settled.
• The island is more commonly known by the name ‘Krakatoa’.
• The name of the artist appears on the vase.
• The riots after the match only served to blacken the name of football.
• The room was booked under a false name.
• The room was booked under= using a false name.
• The scientific name for plants in this genus is Asclepias.
• The teacher knows every student by name.
• The tickets were booked in the name of McLean.
• The village of Low Catton takes its name from the Old English personal name ‘Catta’.
• Their original band name was ‘Cherry Five’
• These articles have damaged the good name of the newspaper.
• They put his name forward as one of the five candidates for the post.
• They put his name forward= chose him as one of the five candidates for the post.
• They tried to protect the good name of the college.
• This kind of behaviour gives students a bad name.
• Throughout his years in prison, he fought to clear his name.
• We cannot mention the suspect's name for legal reasons.
• Where does the band name come from?
• You will need to register a domain name.
• an actor by the name of Tom Rees
• to take the Lord's name in vain
• He accomplished a remarkable feat in restoring the name of the bank to something like its former eminence.
• His name is Tom Smith.
• My name is Maria.
• She became a household name in the 1960s.
• She made her name as a writer of children's books.
• The movie needs some names in it, if it's going to be successful.
• The name's Bond.
• There was a campaign to blacken his name.
• These practices give the industry a bad name.
• We must avoid anything that might damage the good name of the firm.
• What is/was the name, please?
• What's your name?
• code name
• place name
• street name
Idioms: by name ▪ by the name of … ▪ enter your name ▪ give your name to something ▪ go by the name of … ▪ have your name on it ▪ in God's name ▪ in all but name ▪ in name only ▪ in somebody's name ▪ in the name of God ▪ in the name of somebody ▪ name and shame ▪ name names ▪ name of the game ▪ name to conjure with ▪ put a name to somebody ▪ put your name down ▪ somebody's name is mud ▪ take somebody's name in vain ▪ under the name … ▪ with your name on it ▪ your name
verb
1. to give a name to sb/sth
Syn: call
• ~ sb/sth (after sb) | (NAmE also) ~ sb/sth (for sb) He was named after his father (= given his father's first name).
• the diesel engine, named after its inventor Rudolf Diesel
• ~ sb/sth + noun They named their son John.
2. to say the name of sb/sth
Syn: identify
• ~ sb/sth The victim has not yet been named.
• Can you name all the American states?
• The manager has named his side for the semi-final.
• ~ sb/sth as sb/sth The missing man has been named as James Kelly.
3. ~ sth to state sth exactly
Syn: specify
• Name your price.
• They're engaged, but they haven't yet named the day (= chosen the date for their wedding).
• Activities available include squash, archery and swimming, to name but a few.
• Chairs, tables, cabinets— you name it, she makes it (= she makes anything you can imagine).
4. to choose sb for a job or position
Syn: nominate
• ~ sb (as) sth | ~ sb + noun I had no hesitation in naming him (as) captain.
• ~ sb (to sth) When she resigned, he was named to the committee in her place.
Word Origin:
Old English nama, noma (noun), (ge)namian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch naam and German Name, from a root shared by Latin nomen and Greek onoma.
Thesaurus:
name verb
1. T
• He named his son Jack.
call • • entitle • • nickname • • christen • • dub • |formal term • • designate •
name/call/nickname/christen/dub sb Mary, Ali, etc.
officially named/called/entitled/christened/dubbed/termed/designated
2. T
• The victim has not yet been named.
identify • • recognize •
name/identify/recognize sb/sth as sb/sth
Synonyms:
identify
know • recognize • name • make sb/sth out
These words all mean to be able to see or hear sb/sth and especially to be able to say who or what they are.
identify • to be able to say who or what sb/sth is: ▪ She was able to identify her attacker.
know • to be able to say who or what sth is when you see or hear it because you have seen or heard it before Know is used especially to talk about sounds that seem familiar and when sb recognizes the quality or opportunity that sb/sth represents: ▪ I couldn't see who was speaking, but I knew the voice. ◊ ▪ She knows a bargain when she sees one.
recognize • to know who sb is or what sth is when you see or hear them/it, because you have seen or heard them/it before: ▪ I recognized him as soon as he came in the room.
name • to say the name of sb/sth in order to show that you know who/what they are: ▪ The victim has not yet been named.
make sb/sth out • to manage to see or hear sb/sth that is not very clear: ▪ I could just make out a figure in the darkness.
to identify/know/recognize sb/sth by sth
to identify/recognize/name sb/sth as sb/sth
to identify/know/recognize/make out who/what/how…
to easily/barely/just identify/recognize/make out sb/sth
Example Bank:
• He correctly named the song from the clip played.
• I named my son after my father.
• She was recently named to the company's board of directors.
• The President officially named Kirk as his choice to replace Timms.
• The hospital was named in honour of its principal benefactor.
• The present Kew Bridge was opened by King Edward VII and is correctly named ‘King Edward Bridge’.
• The ship will be officially named by the Queen before setting sail from her home port.
• the curiously named Egg Castle
• the dead sister for whom she had been named
• the newly named head coach
• Activities available include squash, archery and swimming, to name but a few.
• Chairs, tables, cabinets— you name it, she makes it.
• He was named after his father.
• Mr Shah has been named to run the new research unit.
• Name your price.
• The planet Mars is named for the Roman god of war.
• They're engaged, but they haven't yet named the day.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
name /neɪm/
noun
1 [C] the word or words that a person, thing or place is known by:
"Hi, what's your name?" "My name's Diane."
Please write your full (= complete) name and address on the form.
What's the name of that mountain in the distance?
We finally agreed on the name Luca for our son.
The students were listed by name and by country of origin.
2 [C usually singular] the opinion or reputation that someone or something has:
She went to court to clear her name (= prove that the bad things said about her were not true).
Their actions gave British football a bad name in Europe at that time.
They're trying to restore the good name of the manufacturer.
3 [C] someone who is famous or has a good reputation:
It seemed like all the big names in football were there.
name /neɪm/
verb [T]
1 to give someone or something a name:
[+ two objects] We named our dogs 'Shandy' and 'Belle'.
A man named Dennis answered the door.
2 to say what something or someone's name is:
In the first question you had to name three types of monkey.
He couldn't name his attacker.
3 to choose someone or something:
Just name the time and I'll be there on the dot.
Name your conditions/terms/price.
Ms Martinez has been named (as) (= she will be) the new Democratic candidate.
nameless /ˈneɪm.ləs/
adjective
having no name, or having a name that is not known:
a nameless soldier
the nameless author of a medieval text
