call after
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to give a child the same name as someone else, usually a family member or a famous person.
phrasal verb. to bestow a name upon a person, typically a newborn, in honour of a predecessor or relative; transitive and inseparable in this sense.
They decided to call the baby after his grandfather.
Since her mother was a famous scientist, she was called after her in hopes she would follow the same path.
It remains a longstanding tradition in many cultures to call the firstborn son after his paternal grandfather to preserve the family lineage.
- name after
- christen after
- Particles
- after
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- call + object + after + object
usually used in the passive voice ('be called after') or with a direct object ('call him after').
contrast with the American English preference 'name after'; 'call after' is more common in British English but both are widely understood.
He was called after of his uncle.He was called after his uncle.the preposition 'after' directly follows the verb and precedes the object; do not add 'of'.
Last updated April 24, 2026