In
biological nomenclature
Nomenclature codes or codes of nomenclature are the various rulebooks that govern biological taxonomic nomenclature, each in their own broad field of organisms. To an end-user who only deals with names of species, with some awareness that species ...
, organisms often receive
scientific name
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...
s that honor a person. A
taxon
In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...
(e.g.
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
or
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
; plural: taxa) named in honor of another entity is an
eponymous taxon, and names specifically honoring a person or persons are known as
patronyms
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
. Scientific names are generally formally published in peer-reviewed journal articles or larger
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monogra ...
s along with descriptions of the named taxa and ways to distinguish them from other taxa. Following rules of
Latin grammar
Latin is a heavily inflected language with largely free word order. Nouns are inflected for number and case; pronouns and adjectives (including participles) are inflected for number, case, and gender; and verbs are inflected for person, n ...
, species or subspecies names derived from a man's name often end in ''-i'' or ''-ii'' if named for an individual, and ''-orum'' if named for a group of men or mixed-sex group, such as a family. Similarly, those named for a woman often end in ''-ae'', or ''-arum'' for two or more women.
This list includes organisms named after famous individuals or ensembles (including bands and comedy troupes), but excludes companies, institutions,
ethnic groups or nationalities, and populated places. It does not include organisms named for fictional entities, for biologists or other natural scientists, nor for associates or family members of researchers who are not otherwise notable.
The scientific names are given as originally described (their
basionym
In the scientific name of organisms, basionym or basyonym means the original name on which a new name is based; the author citation of the new name should include the authors of the basionym in parentheses. The term "basionym" is used in both bota ...
s): subsequent research may have placed species in different genera, or rendered them
taxonomic synonyms of previously described taxa. Some of these names are
unavailable in the zoological sense or
illegitimate
Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...
in the botanical sense due to
senior homonym
In biology, a homonym is a name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another such name, that belongs to a different taxon.
The rule in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is that the first such name to be published is the se ...
s already having the same name.
Lists
See also
*
List of bacterial genera named after personal names
*
List of rose cultivars named after people
*
List of taxa named by anagrams
In the biological nomenclature codes, an anagram can be used to name a new taxon.
Wordplays are one source of inspiration allowing organisms to receive scientific names. In the binomial nomenclature, as scientists have latitude in naming gene ...
*
List of unusual biological names
*
List of organisms named after works of fiction
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:People
Named after celebrities
Taxonomy (biology)
Organisms
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells ( cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fu ...
Organisms
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells ( cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fu ...
Organisms
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells ( cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fu ...
Taxonomic lists