: one that has the same name as another
especially
: one who is named after another or for whom another is named
His grandson and namesake is the spit and image of him … —
Robert Graves
Robert Graves Examples of namesake in a Sentence
How much did President George Bush influence his son and namesake George W. Bush?
Recent Examples on the Web
Among the bases that were renamed were Fort Bragg, Fort Hill, Fort Hood, Fort Lee and Fort Polk, whose original namesakes were all Confederate generals and slaveholders.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
The namesake of the foundation died in 2012.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Thorn’s more famous namesake, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, recently became the unlikely face of this exodus.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Shawnee National Forest’s Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois features dramatic sandstone formations that rival its famous Colorado namesake.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for namesake
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U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
The namesake of the foundation died in 2012.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Thorn’s more famous namesake, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, recently became the unlikely face of this exodus.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Shawnee National Forest’s Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois features dramatic sandstone formations that rival its famous Colorado namesake.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for namesake
Cite this Entry
“Namesake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/namesake. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
namesake
noun
name·sake
ˈnām-ˌsāk 
: one that has the same name as another
especially
: one named after another
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