was named after vs is named after

Both 'was named after' and 'is named after' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Was named after' is used when referring to the past, indicating that the naming occurred at a specific point in the past. 'Is named after' is used when referring to the present or a general fact, indicating that the naming still holds true.

Last updated: March 24, 2024 • 3725 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to the past.

"was named after"

Use 'was named after' when talking about something that was given a name in the past, indicating the specific time when the naming occurred.

Examples:

The city was named after a famous explorer.
The company was named after its founder.
The street was named after a local hero.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jan 19, 2016 ... Cristiano Ronaldo was named after Ronald Reagan. No, really. ... Move over, Republican presidential candidates. You've got competition when it ...
May 7, 2022 ... Why Messier the Kentucky Derby horse was named after NHL legend Mark Messier ... Mark Messier lifted the Stanley Cup six times during his NHL ...
Oct 11, 2019 ... Seattle was named after a tribal chief. Now his descendants own less than an acre of city land. The Duwamish tribe lost its land to settlers ...
Because Dolly's DNA came from a mammary gland cell, she was named after the country singer Dolly Parton. Learn more about cloning with our cloning FAQs.
Jun 20, 2022 ... The beach was named after enslaved African American Robin Mingo, who according to legend, was promised his freedom if the tide ever receded ...
Mar 29, 2018 ... "Namesake" can go either way, but the person referred to as a namesake is usually the younger person who was named after an older person.
Aug 28, 2015 ... ... was named after the Roman god of the underworld—thanks to the suggestion of an 11-year-old English schoolgirl named Venetia Burney.
Our county was named after Colonel Waightstill Avery of Morganton, NC. Colonel Avery served in the Revolutionary War from 1779 until 1781.

Alternatives:

received its name from
was called after

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to the present or a general fact.

"is named after"

Use 'is named after' when talking about something that currently bears a name in reference to another person or thing.

Examples:

The park is named after a former president.
The award is named after a famous scientist.
The building is named after a historical figure.

Show examples from the web [+]

Technically, Lemon is named after a flower.
He is named after a farm animal.
Every girl here is named after a flower.
Each cabin is named after a president.
This town is named after that battle.
And then there's New Jersey, which is named after Jersey.
The mountain is named after it. Eiger.
Your son is named after you.
Now each table is named after a college I want to go to.
That's why his delicious cookie is named after her.
This Johnny Boy is named after me.
This gym, here, is named after Jack Perry.
The Allapattah neighborhood is named after the native American word for alligator.
Every girl here is named after a flower.
Tome des Bauges cheese is named after the Alpine massif where it originates.
The prize is named after Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989), who achieved world renown as one of the inventors of the Soviet hydrogen bomb.
All right, as long as one kid is named after me.
My son... is named after his son.
What other currency is named after a city?
Then we crossed the border into Syria, went to Aleppo, which, turns out, is named after Abraham.

Alternatives:

takes its name from
is called after

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was named after vs is named after

"was named after"

"is named after"

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