benannt

Benannt is the past participle of the German verb benennen, meaning to name or to designate. In contemporary usage it can function as part of a passive construction or as an adjective to indicate that something has received a name. For example, Der Ort wurde benannt. and Die Straße ist nach dem Dichter benannt. In both cases the emphasis is on the act of giving a name rather than on the name itself.

One common construction is to describe eponymous naming with benannt nach. This is used to express that a person, place, or thing has been named in honor of someone or something. Examples include Der Fluss ist benannt nach König Friedrich or Das Museum ist benannt nach dem Maler. The phrase benannt nach signals the rationale for the designation and is frequently encountered in geography, history and official naming.

Benannt differs in nuance from genannt (called or named). Genannt is a more general term for giving a name or reference in speech, while benennen/benannt carries a sense of formal designation or official naming, often in institutional or administrative contexts. In everyday language siehst du beide Formen, aber benennen tends toward formal or technical usage.

Etymologically, benannt derives from be- plus benennen (to name), with Namen meaning name. The related noun Benennung refers to the act or process of naming and is used in linguistic, administrative or philosophical discussions about designation and terminology. In German-language reference works, benannt is commonly encountered in sections on toponymy, awards, and formal designations.