big name

¹ American  

noun

1. a person who has a preeminent public reputation in a specified field.

   He's a big name in education.

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big-name ² American  

[big-neym] / ˈbɪgˌneɪm /

adjective

1. having a widespread public reputation as a leader in a specified field; famous.

   a big-name doctor; a big-name actress.

2. of, relating to, or composed of a big-name person or persons.

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big name British  

noun

1. informal

   1. a famous person

   2. ( as modifier )

      a big-name performer

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Etymology

Origin of big name¹

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

Origin of big-name²

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

He would not be the only big name to make a surprise return to management this season.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

She previously told the court Pitt had a reputation in Weston-super-Mare "as a big name and someone you wouldn't mess with".

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

The read-through for one big name in particular — ConocoPhillips — stood out for analysts at Citi as they see 8% upside for shares if Venezuela pays up on a long-overdue debt.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

Kalshi recently raised External link $1 billion from big name venture-capital firms like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz at an $11 billion valuation.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

A big name for such a little guy.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin