Medical Eponym Angst

Abstract

An eponym is a person, real or fictitious, after whom something has been named. Eponyms have been an integral part of medical nomenclature and history for centuries, but their continued use, including their spelling, is contentious. This article reviews the history of the term, disagreements concerning its lexical legitimacy, and arguments pro and con about their place in modern medical nomenclature. Despite all the legitimate reasons for dropping them, eponyms are so deeply rooted in medicine that they are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Keywords:

• eponyms
• medicine
• lexicon
• dictionary
• history

Acknowledgement

The time and constructive comments and suggestions of the two anonymous NAMES reviewers are gratefully acknowledged.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ernest Lawrence Abel

Ernest Lawrence Abel is a Distinguished Faculty Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. His research and publications focus on onomastics, fetal alcohol syndrome, longevity, religion, and the American Civil War.