Eponym vs. Namesake — What's the Difference?

An eponym is a person, place, or thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives derived from eponym include eponymous and eponymic.

A namesake is a person, geographic location, building or other entity that has the same name as another or that is named after another entity that first had the name.The opposing term, referring to the original entity after which something else was named, is called an eponym.

A word or name derived from a proper noun. The words atlas, bowdlerize, denim, and Turing machine are eponyms.

One that is named after another.

One whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something

(originally) One who is named after another or for whom another is named.

A real or fictitious person's name that has given rise to the name of a particular item.

(by extension) A ship or a building that is named after someone or something.

A word formed from a real or fictive person’s name.

A person with the same name as another.

A word formed from a real or fictive place or thing.

(transitive) To name (somebody) after somebody else.

The hypothetical individual who is assumed as the person from whom any race, city, etc., took its name; as, Hellen is an eponym of the Hellenes.

One that has the same name as another; especially, one called after, or named out of regard to, another.

A name, as of a people, country, and the like, derived from that of an individual.

A person with the same name as another

The name of a person for whom something is supposedly named;

A name derived from the name of person (real or imaginary) as the name of Alexandria is derived from the name of its founder: Alexander the Great