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1562 W. Turner 2nd Pt. Herball f. 85 I haue as yet heard no English name of Phalaris, but for lak of a better name it may be called peti panik, of the likenes that it hath with the ryght panic.

1597 J. Gerard Herball iii. xxiii. 1148 Tragacantha..in English for want of a better name, Goates Thorne.

1768 Philos. Trans. 1767 (Royal Soc.) 57 7 A little red mass, which I called the liver, for want of a better name.

1825 T. B. Macaulay Ess. (1860) I. 58 That propensity which, for want of a better name, we will venture to christen Boswellism.

1866 H. James in Nation 22 Feb. 247/1 In the tale before us this same want of judgment, as we may still call it in the absence of a better name,..is shown.

1891 C. Eliot in Charles Eliot: Landscape Architect (1924) xx. 366 The art which, for want of a better name, is sometimes called Landscape Architecture.

1920 Lancet 23 Oct. 848/2 We have called the condition about to be described ‘senecio disease’ for want of a more appropriate name.

1964 J. A. M. Meerloo Hidden Communion iii. 68 There exists a disease, which for lack of a better name is still called schizophrenia.

1995 Sunday Tel. (Nexis) 2 July 11 The less assertive, but still masculine Ken (for want of a better name) treats his barbie like a chess-board.

1565–73 in J. Raine Depositions Courts Durham (1845) 256 Being at borde at the said Agnes house, then wedoo, and was in name with hir.

1575–6 in J. Raine Depositions Courts Durham (1845) 284 She was then in name with one Francis Castell.

1577 N. Breton Floorish vpon Fancie sig. B^v One is a foole By nature and by name, for Follie men him call.

1613 H. Parrot Laquei Ridiculosi sig. B^v Disgrace by nature, onely Grace by name.]

1688 H. Walker in J. Barker Poet. Recreations ii. 220 She became By Nature Candid, as she was by Name.

1766 C. Jemmat Misc. in Prose & Verse 176 Careless by name, and careless by nature.

1842 G. W. Lovell Love's Sacrifice i. ii. 16 Charmant means charming, which he says I am, both by name and by nature.

1873 G. H. Calvert Maid of Orleans iv. ii. 84 The famed Lord Talbot is a nobleman By nature as by name.

1914 S. Lewis Our Mr. Wrenn iii. 41 Trubiggs. Tru by name and true by nature. Heh?

1958 H. E. Bates Darling Buds of May i. 11 ‘Larkin, that's me,’ Pop said... ‘Larkin by name, Larkin by nature.’

1991 H. Hauxwell & B. Cockcroft Hannah 251 When I enquired if it was Miss or Mrs Maxwell, she said, ‘Oh no, no, no—Miss by name and Miss by nature, that's what my uncle always said.’

1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet ii. i. 86 Whats in a name? That which we call a Rose, By any other name would smell as sweet. View more context for this quotation

1798 W. Wordsworth Peter Bell in Poet. Wks. (1895) 236 (heading) What's in a ‘name’?

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses iii. xvi. [Eumaeus] 578 Shakespeares were as common as Murphies. What's in a name?

1935 L. Charteris Saint in N.Y. viii. 253 What's in a name?—as the actress said to the bishop when he told her that she reminded him of Aspasia.

1996 N. Maraire Zenzele iii. 37 What's in a name, what difference does it make if Katie is called Mai Farai, Professor Marodzi or Professor Marimba?

1662 J. Graunt Nat. & Polit. Observ. Bills Mortality iii. 31 Such other Ministers..had not the Authority or command of the Register to enter the names of the Baptized.

1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 336 He made me enter my Name in a Publick Register, with his Affidavit, affirming..that I was alive.

1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1784 II. 495 The Oxford post-coach took us up in the morning at Bolt-court... I found from the way-bill, that Dr. Johnson had made our names be put down.

1819 M. Edgeworth Let. 2 Apr. (1971) 193 Lady Jersey..told me she would put down our names and give me some tickets for Almacks.

1821 M. Edgeworth Let. 30 Oct. (1971) 248 The Colleges are now so full that a young mans name must be written down 3 or 4 years before he can hope to get in.

1824 Examiner 397/2 Mr. Bolton put down his name for 200l.

1844 C. Dickens Martin Chuzzlewit xxxviii. 442 He sat in coffee-rooms entering his name in the great pocket-book, over and over again.

1868 A. Trollope Phineas Finn liii, in St. Pauls Mag. Nov. 249 As he passed the Athenaeum he saw his chief, Lord Cantrip... ‘I have put your name down here’, said his lordship.

1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 455/1 He entered his name as a student of medicine.

1915 W. S. Maugham Of Human Bondage cxii. 593 He put his name down to be a clerk in the ward devoted to feminine ailments.

1969 Guardian 20 Mar. 20/3 Lord Linley, seven-year-old son of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, had had his name put down for Eton.

1993 A. L. Kennedy Looking for Possible Dance 88 All we need is enough people to put their names down and we can start a credit union.

1803 S. Owenson St. Clair vi. 29 Sir Patrick will make the walls of the old Abbey ring again, or my name is not Michael M'Carty.

1836 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers (1837) xvi. 172 I will, or my name is not Pickwick.

1898 J. D. Brayshaw Slum Silhouettes 220 I tell yer straight, if me an' Kitty don't make Soufend sit up, my name ain't Bill Brown.

a1902 F. Norris Pit (1903) ix. 319 I'll bankrupt him, or my name is not Jadwin!

1962 ‘C. S. Forester’ Hornblower & Hotspur xiii. 174 We'll have a westerly gale, sir, or my name's not William Bush.

1992 E. Field Counting Myself Lucky 140 His balls will dangle from my sceptre or my name's not Count Honkie.

1827 R. Emmons Fredoniad I. v. 146 Green was a host—an army to her name—The second chief to Washington in fame.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xx. 175 She was reported to have..a deal of money in the funds; and three stars to her name in the East India stockholders' list.

1876 G. J. Whyte-Melville Katerfelto vii I have not a horse to my name.

1914 S. Lewis Our Mr. Wrenn xii. 159 ‘Are you broke?’ ‘Prett' nearly. Only got about ten dollars to my name.’

1951 E. E. Evans-Pritchard Kinship & Marriage among Nuer iii. 109 If a man dies without legal male heirs, a kinsman of his..ought to take a wife to his name.

1987 Bella 14 Dec. 37/5 I will prove that even if you haven't got a penny to your name you can still get justice.

1998 On the Edge June 42/2 Jim Sandford has many first ascents to his name.

1844 H. W. Herbert Lord of Manor viii. 51 She? she!.. I'll bet you a rouleau I can put a name to the she!

1915 A. Conan Doyle Valley of Fear ii. vii. 290 I guess when I move out of the chair I can put a name to the man that's coming after me.

1920 E. Wharton Age of Innocence ix. 77 I can't put a name to you—but I'm sure I've met you.

1998 Transport News Aug. 48/1 (advt.) Can you put a name to the roundabout or junction road-signed above?

1854 C. Dickens Hard Times i. vi. 43 What thall it be, Thquire... Thall it be Therry? Give it a name, Thquire!..have a glath of bitterth.

c1863 T. Taylor in M. R. Booth Eng. Plays of 19th Cent. (1969) II. 88 I hope you'll allow me to stand treat—give it a name, gentlemen... Thank you, I never drink with strangers.

1929 J. B. Priestley Good Compan. i. vi. 235 The waiter collected orders and told Inigo to give it a name.

1931 T. R. G. Lyell Slang, Phrase & Idiom Colloq. Eng. 540 Well, boys, the drinks are on me! Give it a name!

1951 J. B. Priestley Festival at Farbridge i. ii. 59 What are you drinking? Give it a name, chaps—there's everything here.

1886 Catholic World Mar. 796 A Mac Duinnshleibhe (Dunlevy)..was called Cu Uladh, war-dog of Ulster—a name he lived up to by worrying the invaders in many a hard-fought round.

1930 Nature Mag. Mar. 156/2 Grouse drum in the lowlands, and ‘foolhens’ live up to their name.

1960 Business Week 8 Oct. 98/1 This year Mother Bell has really lived up to her name; she's given birth to a whole brood of new telephonic devices for the home.

1994 City Paper (Baltimore) 29 June 36/1 The Travelers have lived up to their name, playing gigs from Texas to Taiwan.

1917 A. G. Empey Over Top 312 Tommy detests these mortars because..he knows that it is only a matter of minutes before a German shell with his name and number on it will be knocking at his door.

1919 Athenæum 18 July 632/2 A soldier refers to the shell that kills him as ‘having his name and number on it’.

1959 R. Storey Touch it Light in Plays of Year XVIII. 376 Ted. That farmer don't like us, sir. Ever since that bomb fell on his cowshed. Og. He thought it should have fallen on you? Syd. It had our name on it all right.

1973 D. Francis Slay-ride xii. 140 The bomb probably had my name on it in the first place.

1979 N. Wallington Fireman! iii. 45 My younger watch colleagues had already forewarned me: somewhere in the water main were a few gallons of water which had my name on them.

1991 G. Cotter Eng. v. West Indies 287 With West Indies on 147 for 2 and Richards and Richardson in full flow, the game had West Indies' name on it.

1918 D. Parker in Vanity Fair (N.Y.) July 29/3 Her costumes are simply unbelievable. Whoever made them should have his name in electric lights over the theatre.

1922 Life 16 Feb. 22/3 She is absolutely lacking in the inspiration which every great actress must possess. But her name is in the electric lights, with letters two feet high.

1929 J. B. Priestley Good Compan. ii. i. 282 His determination to top the bill and have his name in electric lights.

1946 Liberty 25 May 19/2 While he was admiring the size and brilliance of his name in lights..the bobby-soxers discovered him.

1972 Guardian 15 Jan. 8/4 I couldn't wait to get up there with the best of them and see my name up in lights—topping the bill at the Palladium.

1992 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 15 Nov. 1/3 Many of these films boasted stars hardly better known than Selznick himself at his name-in-lights height.

1903 Bucks Herald 11 Apr. 6/4 Witness asked him who the other man was, and he said, ‘no names, no pack drill’.

1923 O. Onions Peace in our Time i. ii. 25 Men had a way of omitting the names of those of whom they spoke; no names no pack-drill.

1926 E. Wallace More Educated Evans vii. 160 There's a certain party—no names no pack-drill—who's fairly doggin' me to get information.

1931 P. MacDonald Crime Conductor i. i. 7 ‘Meaning?’ said Cuthbertson. ‘No names,’ said Garth Johnson quickly, ‘no pack drill!’

1955 M. Allingham Beckoning Lady ii. 32 It just means no name, no pack drill, and always speak well of them as has money to sue.

1962 ‘B. Graeme’ Undetective iii. 32 ‘It's a lie, mister. Who told you?’ ‘No names, no pack drill.’

1990 D. Lucie Doing the Business in Fashion, Progress, Hard Feelings, Doing the Business (1991) 265 There was a guy..being told by an Oxbridge twit, no names no pack drill,..that he was a morally bankrupt, senseless philistine.

1929 Times 27 July 11/3 The clauses dealing with a prisoner's capture are framed to protect the prisoner. In future he need only give his name, rank, and number.

1938 S. Bond Mil. Sci. & Tactics, Infantry (Basic) 285 When questioned he [sc. a captured scout] should divulge nothing concerning his organization, or the designations, strength or locations of any other friendly troops, giving the enemy no information except his own name, rank and serial number.

1944 Flying Mag. Nov. 32/3 A pilot is taken to a small, isolated camp where he is quarantined for questioning. All he need do is tell his name, rank and serial number, although additional questions are always asked. earlier examples.

1953 A. Christie Crooked House (rev. ed.) xii. 96 If you were captured, your name, rank, and number [1949 name, rank, and unit], but nothing more.

1973 T. Allbeury Choice of Enemies xxi. 105 Our friend's a traditionalist—he remembers all that jazz about name, rank and number.

1991 W. Perry Roads that Move (BNC) 16 As a soldier, Nathaniel was no longer Nathaniel. He was a name, rank and number, his individuality merely an accident.

2001 Daily Mail (Nexis) 2 Apr. 65 He seems to have been trained in the OK-school of journalism which teaches you to ask..nothing more probing than name, rank and number.