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*** The planetary nebula M 1-42, characterized by a nebulous reddish outer area and a blue inner circle slit by a darker rift, is sometimes nicknamed the Eye of Sauron.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}'': One species of bacteriophage has been given the name "MinosPhrime" ("ph" for "phage" is a convention in naming phages), after the SuperBoss of the first act. Initially requested name was "ULTRAKILL" outright, but that request was denied. This phage has an outstanding resistance to ethanol, which is deadly to the vast majority of phages.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}'': One species of bacteriophage has been given the name "MinosPhrime" "[=MinosPhrime=]" ("ph" for "phage" is a convention in naming phages), after the SuperBoss of the first act. Initially requested name was "ULTRAKILL" outright, but that request was denied. This phage has an outstanding resistance to ethanol, which is deadly to the vast majority of phages.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}'': One species of bacteriophage has been given the name "MinosPhrime" ("ph" for "phage" is a convention in naming phages), after the SuperBoss of the first act. Initially requested name was "ULTRAKILL" outright, but that request was denied. This phage has an outstanding resistance to ethanol, which is deadly to the vast majority of phages.
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Fixed a typo that changed the intended meaning
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** Lilliput has given its name to a number of tiny organisms, such as the cactus ''Blossfeldia liliputana'' (the smallest cactus known to exist, incidentally), the orchid ''Dryadella lilliputiana'', the violent ''Viola lilliputana'', the fly ''Meoneura lilliputensis'', the beetles ''Anthobium liliputense'' and ''Hypothenemus liliputianus '', and the mushroom ''Pluteus liliputianus''.
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** Lilliput has given its name to a number of tiny organisms, such as the cactus ''Blossfeldia liliputana'' (the smallest cactus known to exist, incidentally), the orchid ''Dryadella lilliputiana'', the violent violet ''Viola lilliputana'', the fly ''Meoneura lilliputensis'', the beetles ''Anthobium liliputense'' and ''Hypothenemus liliputianus '', and the mushroom ''Pluteus liliputianus''.
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* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The ''Ahaetulla farnsworthi'', or "Farnsworth's vine snake", is a species of tree snake from the Western Ghats of India, named after Professor Hubert Farnsworth due to a physical resemblance and because he inspired one of the researchers to become a scientist.
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* The earliest example in zoology for this is the sarus crane (''Antigone antigone''), which was named in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, after the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology mythical princess]] Antigone of Troy[[note]]not to be confused with the more famous [[Theatre/{{Antigone}} Antigone of Thebes]][[/note]], who was [[BalefulPolymorph turned into a stork]] by Hera after she claimed her hair was more beautiful than Hera's.
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* The earliest example in zoology for this is the sarus crane (''Antigone antigone''), which was named in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, after the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology mythical princess]] Antigone of Troy[[note]]not to be confused with the more famous [[Theatre/{{Antigone}} Antigone of Thebes]][[/note]], who was [[BalefulPolymorph [[ForcedTransformation turned into a stork]] by Hera after she claimed her hair was more beautiful than Hera's.
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It's easy sometimes to forget that the people that one associates with a particular cultural or professional context have their own lives outside of that -- the mild shock of seeing one's professor at the mall or attending a ball game, for instance. Even the most dedicated professionals have hobbies and interests outside of their careers, which sometimes may bleed through into their work life. Scientists, of course, are no exception.
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It's easy sometimes to forget that the people that one associates with a particular cultural or professional context have their own lives outside of that -- the mild shock of seeing one's professor at the mall or attending a ball game, for instance. Even the most dedicated professionals have hobbies and interests outside of their careers, which sometimes may bleed through into their work life.lives. Scientists, of course, are no exception.
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[[folder:Sports]]
* Former [[UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague Arsenal]] boss Arsène Wenger has an asteroid named after him, due to the asteroid's discoverer being a proud Gooner.
[[/folder]]
* Former [[UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague Arsenal]] boss Arsène Wenger has an asteroid named after him, due to the asteroid's discoverer being a proud Gooner.
[[/folder]]
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[[folder:Mythology and religion]]
* The earliest example in zoology for this is the sarus crane (''Antigone antigone''), which was named in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, after the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology mythical princess]] Antigone of Troy[[note]]not to be confused with the more famous [[Theatre/{{Antigone}} Antigone of Thebes]][[/note]], who was [[BalefulPolymorph turned into a stork]] by Hera after she claimed her hair was more beautiful than Hera's.
[[/folder]]
* The earliest example in zoology for this is the sarus crane (''Antigone antigone''), which was named in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, after the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology mythical princess]] Antigone of Troy[[note]]not to be confused with the more famous [[Theatre/{{Antigone}} Antigone of Thebes]][[/note]], who was [[BalefulPolymorph turned into a stork]] by Hera after she claimed her hair was more beautiful than Hera's.
[[/folder]]
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** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skywalker_hoolock_gibbon Skywalker hoolock gibbon]] (''Hoolock tianxing'') is a BilingualBonus example. In the official published paper, the translation given for "tianxing" is "heaven movement", and is stated to refer to the gibbon's [[VineSwing brachiation in the rainforest canopy]]; however, a synonym for "heaven" is "sky" and for "movement" is "walking", a reference to Luke Skywalker, which is also reflected in the English name.
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* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': The euglossine bee [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euglossa_bazinga Euglossa Bazinga]] was named after Sheldon Cooper's catchphrase, "Bazinga", which means something similar to the expression "gotcha". It was named that because the biologists who discovered it initially misidentified it as another species.
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* Series/TheBigBangTheory: The euglossine bee [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euglossa_bazinga Euglossa Bazinga]] was named after Sheldon Cooper's catchphrase, "Bazinga", which means something similar to the expression "gotcha". It was named that because the biologists who discovered it initially misidentified it as another species.
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* Series/TheBigBangTheory: The euglossine bee [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euglossa_bazinga Euglossa Bazinga]] was named after Sheldon Cooper's catchphrase, "Bazinga", which means something similar to the expression "gotcha". It was named that because the biologists who discovered it initially misidentified it as another species.
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** ''Strigiphilus garylarsoni'' is a type of owl louse named after Gary Larson, in honor of the author's popularization of obscure nature facts. In the ''The Prehistory of the Far Side'', Larson stated that he considered this to be a great honor.
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** ''Strigiphilus garylarsoni'' is a type of owl louse named after Gary Larson, in honor of the author's popularization of obscure nature facts. In the ''The Prehistory of the Far Side'', Larson stated that he considered this to be a great honor.
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* ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': The titular character has an minor asteroid named after him.
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* ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': The titular character has an a minor asteroid named after him.
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*** ''Conus tribblei'', a sea snail, is an indirect version. It was named after one of its discoverers' pet cat, who was in turned named after ''Star Trek''[='=]s tribbles.
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*** ''Conus tribblei'', a sea snail, is an indirect version. It was named after one of its discoverers' pet cat, who was in turned turn named after ''Star Trek''[='=]s tribbles.
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** One of the earliest instance of ''Australopithecus afarensis'' has been named Lucy because, when the fossils were discovered, the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was played in the expedition camp.
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** One of the earliest instance instances of ''Australopithecus afarensis'' has been named Lucy because, when the fossils were discovered, the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was played in the expedition camp.
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** Prehistoric creatures named after the series include ''Targaryendraco'', a pterosaur, and ''Meraxes'', a carcharodontosaur theropod that, despite its large size, was not quite the biggest predator in its environment (it was overtopped by the even bigger ''Mapusaurus''), similarly to how Meraxes the dragon was one of the biggest to ever live was still outsized by Balerion.
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** Prehistoric creatures named after the series include ''Targaryendraco'', a pterosaur, and ''Meraxes'', a carcharodontosaur theropod that, despite its large size, was not quite the biggest predator in its environment (it was overtopped by the even bigger ''Mapusaurus''), similarly to how Meraxes the dragon was one of the biggest to ever live yet was still outsized by Balerion.
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** Besides the asteroid 8749 Beatles, which is named for the band itself, there are asteroids named after all four members: 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, and 4150 Starr.
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** Besides the asteroid 8749 Beatles, which is named for the band itself, there are asteroids named after all four members: 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, [=McCartney=], 4149 Harrison, and 4150 Starr.
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* Music/FrankZappa has been the inspiration for naming sveral different scientific discoveries, to the point that it is a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa#References_in_arts_and_sciences section in his article]] on Wikipedia
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* Music/FrankZappa has been the inspiration for naming sveral several different scientific discoveries, to the point that it is a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa#References_in_arts_and_sciences section in his article]] on Wikipedia
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See also {{Neologism}}, for newly-minted or created words.
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See also {{Neologism}}, for newly-minted or created words. Compare {{Defictionalization}}, for when a fictional product is made into a real item in the real world.
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It's easy sometimes to forget that the people that one associates with a particular cultural or professional context have their own lives outside of that -- the mild shock of seeing one's professor at the mall or attending a ball game, for instance. Even the most dedicated professionals have hobbies and interests outside of their careers, which sometimes may bleed through into their work life. Scientists, of course, are no exception.
Thus, many medical researchers, naturalists, astronomers or whatnot have books or movies or video games or other works that they enjoy. And sometimes, in the course of their work, they can come across new discoveries that, in some manner or another, call to mind these stories or the things within them. The end result of this is a surprisingly large and growing stable of animal species, astronomical objects, proteins, and other such entities permanently recorded in the annals of science with names based on characters and places from popular fiction.
The reason why most of the natural and non-astronomical examples tend to be insects, microorganisms, or extinct species is due to the fact that the grand majority of avians, mammals, and large reptiles have been catalogued and named for decades, if not centuries, leaving only a niche but ever-expanding catalogue of less identifiable scientific discoveries for pop culture to influence. The primary exception to this are fossils, as the spotty and incomplete nature of the fossil record means that large animals are still being discovered in the present day.
See also {{Neologism}}, for newly-minted or created words.
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Creator/MarvelComics:
** The theropod dinosaur ''Thanos'' (known from a fragment of a neck vertebrae) is named after the Marvel comic character [[Characters/MarvelComicsThanos of the same name]].
** ''Gekko hulk'' is a gecko species named after ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', because it's green, relatively large, and aggressive. ''Allodaposuchus hulki'' is a species of extinct stem-crocodilian named after Hulk for its strongly developed limb bones compared to other species of its genus, suggesting it was semi-terrestrial.
* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': Asteroid 1683 Castafiore is named for diva Bianca Castafiore.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':
** Two Martian rocks were named Calvin and Hobbes by NASA, as a reference to the StoryArc where the pair travelled to Mars in their little red wagon.
** Two species of parasitic wasp in the genus ''Zagrammosoma'' were named after the pair (''Z. hobbesi'' and ''Z. calvini''). ''Z. hobbesi'' for its striped body, and ''Z. calvini'' for its bristly setae resembling Calvin's AnimeHair.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'':
** One comic depicts cavemen in a lecture hall, where the caveman professor is pointing to a slide of a stegosaur tail and stating that that end of the animal is called a thagomizer, "after the late Thag Simmons". The term afterwards came into use as an informal name for stegosaurian tails, including in formal museums, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thagomizer the Wikipedia page]] on the anatomical feature, and the occasional technical paper.
** ''Strigiphilus garylarsoni'' is a type of owl louse named after Gary Larson, in honor of the author's popularization of obscure nature facts. In the ''The Prehistory of the Far Side'', Larson stated that he considered this to be a great honor.
--->''"Besides, I knew no one was going to write and ask to name a new species of swan after me. You have to grab these opportunities when they come along."''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'': The dromaeosaur ''Bambiraptor'' was named after the deer main character, due to its small size (however, this was only because the holotype fossil which gave the species its name was of a juvenile animal).
* ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': The titular character has an minor asteroid named after him.
* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'': A cosmic phenomenon similar to the aurora borealis that occasionally lights up the northern hemisphere was nicknamed STEVE, after the name the animals give to the hedge. The name was chosen because, in the movie, the animals are a lot less scared of the giant hedge after naming it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'': The fossil wasp ''Xenomorphia'' is named after the titular creatures, due to the fact they were discovered to have parasitized fly pupa, similar to the parasitoid life-cycle of the Xenomorph aliens (a parasitoid life-cycle is common amongst living wasp species as well).
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'': ''Ikrandraco'' is a genus of pterosaur named after the Ikran, a dragon-like flying alien that the Na'vi use as a mount. The pterosaur has a similar crest on the end of its lower jaw as the fictional creature (unlike most crested pterosaurs, which either have a crest on top of the skull or on both upper and lower jaws).
* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': ''Zuul'' is a species of ankylosaur named after one of the demonic hellhounds that serves Gozer, the dinosaur having a horned head that resembles the beast.
* ''Film/{{Gamera}}'': Two species of extinct freshwater turtles are named after the eponymous flying turtle monster. ''Sinemys gamera'', which had large, wing-like projections from its shell, and ''Gamerabaena'', from the Hell Creek Formation (so it would've coexisted with dinosaurs like ''Tyrannosaurus'' and ''Triceratops'').
* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'':
** A 2017 study on marine iguanas identified five new subspecies, and one of these subspecies was named ''Amblyrhynchus cristatus godzilla'', specifically as a reference to the incarnation from ''Film/Godzilla1998'', which was a mutated iguana.
** There is a genus of theropod dinosaur called ''Gojirasaurus''. However, it doesn't resemble the actual Godzillasaurus from ''Film/GodzillaVsKingGhidorah'', wasn't actually very large (it was large only for a theropod of the Triassic, but was dwarfed by many later species) and is possibly dubious (it may just be a large ''Coelophysis'').
** ''Scytodes kumonga'' is a species of Iranian spitting spider named after the spitting spider kaiju Kumonga. ''Anime/GodzillaSingularPoint'' makes a reference to this by giving Kumonga the scientific name ''Kumonga scytodes''.
** Remipedes are a group of centipede-like cave crustaceans closely related to insects. More than a third of the identified genera are named after various Godzilla kaiju. There's ''Godzilliognomus'', ''Godzillius'', ''Kumonga'', ''Angirasu'' (Anguirus), and ''Pleomothra'' (Mothra).
** ''Ramisyllis kingghidorahi'' is a species of polychaete worm named after Godzilla's ArchEnemy, a three-headed, two-tailed dragon. It was given this name due to its highly branching body with many posterior ends.
** Numerous other animals have names derived from Godzilla kaiju, such as ''Mecodema godzilla'' (a large ground beetle), ''Diplacodon gigan'' (an extinct ungulate named after Gigan), ''Mutotylaspis tripudium'' (a prehistoric hermit crab named after the [=MUTOs=]), and ''Agroeca angirasu'' (a spiny spider species named after Anguirus).
** A variable star in the Sunburst galaxy is named after the big lizard himself, in reference to the star being the most luminous one currently known. In 2023, another such "monstrous" star was named Mothra.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'': Two species of spiders, ''Filistata maguirei'' and ''Pritha garfieldi'', are named after Creator/TobeyMaguire and Creator/AndrewGarfield, the first two actors to play Spider-Man.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The ''Agathidium vaderi'' fungus beetle is named after Darth Vader -- if you really squint your eyes, its shell looks like the infamous Sith's armor.
** The trilobite species ''Han solo''. Officially, the genus name ''Han'' comes from the fact it's a Chinese fossil, and ''solo'' is because it's the last known surviving member of the family Diplagnostidae, but the describer later admitted he was dared by his friends to scientifically name a species after a character from ''Star Wars''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'': Species with long, horn- or nose-like projects have on occasion been named after the puppet himself. These include beetle ''Walckenaeria pinocchio'', with a long single horn; the orchid ''Masdevallia pinocchio'', whose flowers produce long, slender "spikes" from the top petal; the crab ''Oxypleurodon pinocchio'', with a long upturned rostrum; and several others.
* ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'': Multiple minor planets are named for characters from the story: 6042 Cheshirecat, 6735 Madhatter, and 6736 Marchare. The Jabberwocky from ''Through the Looking-Glass'' also has 7470 Jabberwock.
* Franchise/CthulhuMythos:
** ''Yogsothoth'' is a genus of protist named after the Outer God from the stories of Creator/HPLovecraft (due to forming spherical colonies with many round scales that bear a resemblance to the description of Yog-Sothoth resembling many floating orbs).
** ''Cthulhu'' is a genus of protist that dwells in the gut of termites that helps them digest wood, named due to its octopoid-like shape. It has a smaller close relative called ''Cthylla'', named after the daughter of Cthulhu.
* ''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'': The series' author, Creator/JamesGurney, had the theropod ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torvosaurus Torvosaurus gurneyi]]'' named after him.
* ''Literature/DonQuixote'':
** A species of the prehistoric horse ''Hipparion'', ''Hipparion rocinantis'', was named after Don Quixote's steed.
** A prehistoric clam discovered in La Mancha was named ''Dulcineaia manchegana''. Similarly, the modern sedge species ''Carex quixotiana'' was named so primarily due to being native to the area around La Mancha.
** The beetle ''Ardistomis quixotei'' was named after the main character to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the story's publication, which fell around the time of its discovery.
** ''Lohuecotitan pandafilandi'' is a giant sauropod from Spain named after Pandafilando, a giant that Don Quixote thinks is one of his enemies.
* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': A species of giant extinct vampire bat, ''Desmodus draculae'', is named after the title character (as the study naming it stated: "the greatest human vampire of folklore").
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'':
** ''Synothele arrakis'' is a jumping spider named as a reference to its unusually blue eyes, which put its describers in mind of the most characteristic sign of melange addiction.
** ''Shaihuludia'' is a genus of polychaetes -- marine worms that mostly live buried in the seafloor sediment -- named after the great sandworms (although, of course, it's got a much higher tolerance for water).
* ''Literature/GulliversTravels'':
** Lilliput has given its name to a number of tiny organisms, such as the cactus ''Blossfeldia liliputana'' (the smallest cactus known to exist, incidentally), the orchid ''Dryadella lilliputiana'', the violent ''Viola lilliputana'', the fly ''Meoneura lilliputensis'', the beetles ''Anthobium liliputense'' and ''Hypothenemus liliputianus '', and the mushroom ''Pluteus liliputianus''.
** Phobos has a number of craters named after characters and places in the story, due to Swift describing the moons of Mars there well before they were discovered.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The name of the pachycephalosaur ''Dracorex hogwartsia'' (which, note, is no longer a valid genus due to having been found to actually be the juvenile of ''Pachycephalosaurus'') means "dragon king of Hogwarts".
* ''Literature/{{Heidi}}'': Minor planet 2521 Heidi is named for the titular character.
* ''Franchise/JamesBond'': 9007 James Bond is an asteroid named after the iconic spy himself.
* ''Literature/TheJungleBook'': ''Bagheera kiplingi'' is a species of jumping spider, the genus name of which is a reference to the panther character from the book and the species name to the author, Creator/RudyardKipling. The spider species is also notable for being one of the only mostly herbivorous spider species.
* ''Literature/JurassicPark'': Creator/MichaelCrichton had the dinosaur ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichtonpelta Crichtonpelta]]'' named in his honor.
* ''Literature/TheLittlePrince'': [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit-Prince_(moon) Petit-Prince]], the first asteroid moon to have been discovered with a ground-based telescope, was named in honor of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Napol%C3%A9on,_Prince_Imperial Louis-Napoléon, Prince Imperial]]. However, its name was also intended to be an allusion to the book. In the words of its discoverers:
-->Both princes were young and adventurous, and had little fear of danger. Both were of rather small stature. They both left the confines of their cozy little worlds (asteroid B612 for the Little Prince and Chislehurst for the Prince Imperial). They both then undertook long journeys to end up in Africa, whereupon they both meet rather violent deaths ... And in both cases they lay alone for one night each after "death" and then "returned" back home...
* ''Literature/MobyDick'':
** Not surprisingly, Melville's work has been of inspiration for a few prehistoric whale names. ''Albicetus oxymycterus'' -- "sharp-nose white whale", named despite, obviously, only being known from fossil bones -- is a very early sperm whale named after the great cetacean himself. ''Livyatan melvillei'', a very large predatory sperm whale, was instead named in the author's honor.
** ''Voeltzkowia mobydick'' is a type of skink named due to a number of its traits, namely its absent hindlimbs, flipper-like forelimbs, reduced eyes, and pigment-less skin, putting its discovers in mind of the white whale.
* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'': 5048 Moriarty, 5049 Sherlock, and 5050 Doctorwatson are asteroids named for the series' three most iconic characters.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** A 2014 study that described seven species of ''Laelius'' wasps named them after the great houses of Westeros -- ''L. arryni'', ''baratheoni'', ''lannisteri'', ''martelli'', ''targaryeni'', ''tullyi'', and ''starki''.
** Prehistoric creatures named after the series include ''Targaryendraco'', a pterosaur, and ''Meraxes'', a carcharodontosaur theropod that, despite its large size, was not quite the biggest predator in its environment (it was overtopped by the even bigger ''Mapusaurus''), similarly to how Meraxes the dragon was one of the biggest to ever live was still outsized by Balerion.
* ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'': One genus of remipedes (centipede-like cave crustaceans) is named ''Morlockia'', after cannibalistic post-human troglodytes of the book (because both live underground).
* ''Literature/TolkiensLegendarium'':
** Two species of Brazilian spiders in the genus ''Ochyrocera'' are named after Tolkien's spider monsters, ''O. ungoliant'' and ''O. laracna'', the latter being derived from Shelob's Portuguese name.
** Gollum has inspired the names of a considerable number of organisms, most of them either cave- or bottom-dwellers:
*** ''Aenigmachanna gollum'' is a species of snakehead fish named in reference to being a member of a surface-dwelling group that adapted for life underground in (evolutionarily) recent times.
*** ''Galaxias gollumoides'' is a small, scaleless freshwater fish, which primarily inhabits areas of deep silt or algal growths in mountain streams.
*** ''Gollum'' is a genus of three species of small, slender sharks, sometimes referred to as gollumsharks, named after their preference for living as bottom-dwellers in deep, dark waters.
*** ''Gollumjapyx smeagol'' is a cave-dwelling insect from Spain that, like most obligate troglodytes, has pale, long-limbed features reminiscent of Gollum's.
*** ''Smeagol'' is a genus of small, pale slugs usually found living between rocks in seashore areas.
*** ''Tennesseellum gollum'', a linyphiid spider, was named in reference to "the 'evil look' of the male of this species due to the large cheliceral tubercles".
** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
*** 385446 Manwë is a trans-Neptunian object named after the ruler of the Valar. Its satellite, Thorondor, is named after the chief of the Great Eagles that serve Manwë.
*** 174567 Varda is a trans-Neptunian object named after the Vala of the stars. Its satellite Ilmarë is named after Varda's handmaid.
*** The star [=WHL0137-LS=], which at the time of its discovery in 2022 was the farthest star from Earth ever observed, was given the name Earendel, after Eärendil the Mariner and the Morning Star that he guides through the skies of Arda.
*** ''Yavanna'' is a Cretaceous tree fern named after the Vala who created plants and animals.
*** ''Ancalagon'' is a genus of Cambrian worms named after the ring of spines around their mouths, which their discoverers thought made them look reminiscent of dragons. Ancalagon also had a carnivorous mammal named after him, ''Ankalagon saurognathus''. It was supposed to be ''Ancalagon'', but the aforementioned worms [[OneSteveLimit forced a change]].
*** A considerable number of the moths of the genus ''Elachista'' described by the Finnish entomologist Lauri Kalia have been named after elven characters from the story, such as ''Elachista aredhella'', ''E. celegormella'', ''E. diorella'', ''E. turoella'', and so on.
** ''Literature/TheHobbit'':
*** ''Breviceps bagginsi'', common name Bilbo's rain frog, was named such because its discoverer had fond memories of reading the novel to his children. Bilbo also lent his name to the asteroid 2991 Bilbo.
*** ''Smaug'' is used as the name of a genus of spiny African lizards, which were named partly due to their resemblance to small armored dragons and partly because their range is centered around the Free State province of South Africa, which was Tolkien's birthplace. The dragon also lent his name to the Indian gecko ''Cnemaspis smaug''.
*** ''Beorn'' is a genus of Cretaceous tardigrades -- water bears, in common terms -- named after the man who can turn into a bear.
** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
*** Gandalf has provided a name for both the flatworm genus ''Gandalfia'' and the crab genus ''Gandalfus''.
*** ''Anthracosuchus balrogus'' is a genus of crocodile-like reptiles that received both its genus ("coal crocodile") and its species names as references to having first been discovered in the depths of a mine.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'': 12796 Kamenrider is an asteroid named for the series and its titular character(s).
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': There is a species of sea slug named ''Marianina khaleesi'' after Daenerys Targaryen, who holds the title of "Khaleesi", because its back resembles her white-blonde hair when she wears it in elaborate braids.
* Creator/MontyPython: Each member has an asteroid named after them: 9617 Grahamchapman, 9618 Johncleese, 9619 Terrygilliam, 9620 Ericidle, 9621 Michaelpalin, and 9622 Terryjones.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** ''Annuntidiogenes worfi'', a hermit crab, and ''Synopeas klingunculum'', a wasp, were named due to possessing wrinkled structures on their crania reminiscent of the Klingons' famous foreheads.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'':
*** ''Conus tribblei'', a sea snail, is an indirect version. It was named after one of its discoverers' pet cat, who was in turned named after ''Star Trek''[='=]s tribbles.
*** ''Paridris gorn'', a wasp, was named after its compound eyes that resembled those of reptilian Gorns.
*** ''Ledella spocki'' is a clam whose valves put its describes in mind of Vulcan ears.
*** The astroid 2309 Mr. Spock is an indirect example; it was named for its discoverer's ''pet cat'', which was named after the character.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
*** ''Boeckaspis geordii'', a trilobite, was named so due to its eye ridge's resemblance to Jordi's visor.
*** ''Bolianus'' is a genus of beetles with a long groove along their heads that resembles the characteristic ridge running down the Bolians' faces.
** The NASA space shuttle OV-101 was originally going to be named ''Constitution'', but, at the request of President Ford following hundreds of thousands of letters from Trekkies, it was named ''Enterprise'' after the flagship of the series. The shuttle is occasionally referenced by the franchise, [[CelebrityParadox implying that the Federation starship was named after the NASA spacecraft]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* Music/TheBeatles:
** One of the earliest instance of ''Australopithecus afarensis'' has been named Lucy because, when the fossils were discovered, the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was played in the expedition camp.
** Besides the asteroid 8749 Beatles, which is named for the band itself, there are asteroids named after all four members: 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, and 4150 Starr.
* Music/ElvisPresley: 17059 Elvis, a minor planet named for Elvis himself.
* Music/FrankZappa has been the inspiration for naming sveral different scientific discoveries, to the point that it is a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa#References_in_arts_and_sciences section in his article]] on Wikipedia
* Music/GreenDay: The flowering plant species ''Macrocarpaea dies-viridis'' (common name "Green Day moon-gentian") was named in reference to the band. The specific name comes from the Latin words ''dies'' and ''viridis'', meaning "day" and "green", respectively.
* Music/JoyDivision: Four species in the trilobite genus ''Bathyurina'' were named after the members of the band; ''Bathyurina curtisi'' (Ian Curtis), ''Bathyurina hooki'' (Peter Hook), ''Bathyurina morrisi'' (Stephen Morris), and ''Bathyruina sumneri'' (Bernard Sumner).
* Music/PinkFloyd:
** The pterosaur species ''Tupuxuara deliradamus'' has a specific name derived from the song "[[Music/WishYouWereHere Shine on You Crazy Diamond]]". The Latin word ''delirus'' means "crazy" or "insane", and ''adamus'' (meaning "invincible") is where the word "diamond" comes from.
** The Pink Floyd pistol shrimp, ''Synalpheus pinkfloydi'', was named after the band due to its distinctive reddish-pink claw. An article about the species' discovery pointed out that the shrimp is "unlikely to occur on ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' due to lack of suitable habitat."
** ''Pinkfloydia'' is a genus of long-jawed orb weaver spiders from Australia.
** ''Cephalonomia pinkfloydi'' is a bethylid wasp from New Zealand.
* Music/PorcupineTree: The extinct brittle star ''Lapidaster hystricarboris'' is named after the band -- ''Hystrix'' is a genus of porcupine, and ''arbor'' is Latin for "tree".
* Music/SexPistols: Five species in the trilobite genus ''Arcticalymene'' were named for the band's members; ''Arcticalymene cooki'' (Paul Cook), ''Arcticalymene jonesi'' (Steve Jones), ''Arcticalymene matlocki'' (Glen Matlock), ''Arcticalymene rotteni'' (Johnny Rotten), and ''Arcticalymene viciousi'' (Sid Vicious).
* Music/{{Sting}}: 601916 Sting is a minor planet in the Asteroid Belt named for the man himself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'': ''Halystina umberlee'' is a deep-water snail named after the Faerûnian goddess of the oceans.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': ''Abaddon despoliator'' is a species of harvestman adorned with prominent keratinous spikes, which reminded its discoverers of how Abaddon the Despoiler is "typically portrayed adorned with spikes and various sharp things".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theater/LaBoheme'': Alcindoromycine, bohemamine, collinemycin, mimimycin, musettamycin, marcellomycin, and rudolphomycin are all anthracycline antibiotic agents named after the opera and its various characters.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'': A species of extinct bandicoots from the Miocene was given the scientific name ''Crash bandicoot''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Factorio}}'': The scorpion ''Neobuthus factorio'' was described by František Kovařík, the father of Michal Kovařík, the game's lead designer, who decided to name the new species after his son's game.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** The dicynodont ''Bulbasaurus'' is an ambiguous case. Formally, it's named after the unusually pronounced, bulbous growths in the area around its nose. However, when asked on the matter, its discoverers stated that the name resemblance "may not be entirely coincidental".
** A protein involved in the function of neural synapses is named pikachurin in reference to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves".
** ''Aerodactylus'' is a small pterosaur, closely related to ''Pterodactylus'', named after Aerodactyl.
** Three species of ''Binburrum'' beetles formally described together in 2020 were named after the Legendary Birds -- ''B. articuno'', ''B. zapdos'', and ''B. moltres''.
** A subspecies of spider with the name ''treecko'' exists, after the Grass-Type Starter in the Third Generation; amusingly, it's part of the ''Rathalos'' genus, but it's unclear whether or not the nomenclature was inspired by ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' or not, as the taxonomic report claims it's an "arbitrary combination of letters". The same occasion saw the naming of two new ''Anyphaena'' spiders, ''A. grovyle'' and ''A. sceptile'', as an extension of this trend.
** ''Nocticola pheromosa'' is a cockroach species named after the Ultra Beast Pheromosa, due to the latter being an anthropomorphic roach.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': A group of proteins that control growth in embryos are referred to as the hedgehog proteins due to their removal causing the growth of spiky structures in subjects. The first two variants identified were named ''desert hedgehog'' and ''Indian hedgehog''; the third is called ''Sonic hedgehog''. Its inhibitor was then called robotnikinin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland'': 10003 Caryhuang is an asteroid named after Cary Kaiming Huang, one of the co-creators.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': The ''Spongiforma squarepantsii'' fungus was named after its fruiting body's resemblance to an orangish-yellowish sea sponge. The name was originally rejected by the ''Mycologia'' journal as being frivolous, but the fungus' describers were able to insist that, as its discoverers, they had the right to name it whatever they wished to.
* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': ''Ninjemys'' is a species of giant, horned stem-turtle from Australia, the scientific name of which translates to "ninja turtle", stated in its description to be "in allusion to that totally rad, fearsome foursome epitomizing shelled success".
[[/folder]]
----
Thus, many medical researchers, naturalists, astronomers or whatnot have books or movies or video games or other works that they enjoy. And sometimes, in the course of their work, they can come across new discoveries that, in some manner or another, call to mind these stories or the things within them. The end result of this is a surprisingly large and growing stable of animal species, astronomical objects, proteins, and other such entities permanently recorded in the annals of science with names based on characters and places from popular fiction.
The reason why most of the natural and non-astronomical examples tend to be insects, microorganisms, or extinct species is due to the fact that the grand majority of avians, mammals, and large reptiles have been catalogued and named for decades, if not centuries, leaving only a niche but ever-expanding catalogue of less identifiable scientific discoveries for pop culture to influence. The primary exception to this are fossils, as the spotty and incomplete nature of the fossil record means that large animals are still being discovered in the present day.
See also {{Neologism}}, for newly-minted or created words.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Creator/MarvelComics:
** The theropod dinosaur ''Thanos'' (known from a fragment of a neck vertebrae) is named after the Marvel comic character [[Characters/MarvelComicsThanos of the same name]].
** ''Gekko hulk'' is a gecko species named after ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', because it's green, relatively large, and aggressive. ''Allodaposuchus hulki'' is a species of extinct stem-crocodilian named after Hulk for its strongly developed limb bones compared to other species of its genus, suggesting it was semi-terrestrial.
* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': Asteroid 1683 Castafiore is named for diva Bianca Castafiore.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':
** Two Martian rocks were named Calvin and Hobbes by NASA, as a reference to the StoryArc where the pair travelled to Mars in their little red wagon.
** Two species of parasitic wasp in the genus ''Zagrammosoma'' were named after the pair (''Z. hobbesi'' and ''Z. calvini''). ''Z. hobbesi'' for its striped body, and ''Z. calvini'' for its bristly setae resembling Calvin's AnimeHair.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'':
** One comic depicts cavemen in a lecture hall, where the caveman professor is pointing to a slide of a stegosaur tail and stating that that end of the animal is called a thagomizer, "after the late Thag Simmons". The term afterwards came into use as an informal name for stegosaurian tails, including in formal museums, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thagomizer the Wikipedia page]] on the anatomical feature, and the occasional technical paper.
** ''Strigiphilus garylarsoni'' is a type of owl louse named after Gary Larson, in honor of the author's popularization of obscure nature facts. In the ''The Prehistory of the Far Side'', Larson stated that he considered this to be a great honor.
--->''"Besides, I knew no one was going to write and ask to name a new species of swan after me. You have to grab these opportunities when they come along."''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'': The dromaeosaur ''Bambiraptor'' was named after the deer main character, due to its small size (however, this was only because the holotype fossil which gave the species its name was of a juvenile animal).
* ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': The titular character has an minor asteroid named after him.
* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'': A cosmic phenomenon similar to the aurora borealis that occasionally lights up the northern hemisphere was nicknamed STEVE, after the name the animals give to the hedge. The name was chosen because, in the movie, the animals are a lot less scared of the giant hedge after naming it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'': The fossil wasp ''Xenomorphia'' is named after the titular creatures, due to the fact they were discovered to have parasitized fly pupa, similar to the parasitoid life-cycle of the Xenomorph aliens (a parasitoid life-cycle is common amongst living wasp species as well).
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'': ''Ikrandraco'' is a genus of pterosaur named after the Ikran, a dragon-like flying alien that the Na'vi use as a mount. The pterosaur has a similar crest on the end of its lower jaw as the fictional creature (unlike most crested pterosaurs, which either have a crest on top of the skull or on both upper and lower jaws).
* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': ''Zuul'' is a species of ankylosaur named after one of the demonic hellhounds that serves Gozer, the dinosaur having a horned head that resembles the beast.
* ''Film/{{Gamera}}'': Two species of extinct freshwater turtles are named after the eponymous flying turtle monster. ''Sinemys gamera'', which had large, wing-like projections from its shell, and ''Gamerabaena'', from the Hell Creek Formation (so it would've coexisted with dinosaurs like ''Tyrannosaurus'' and ''Triceratops'').
* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'':
** A 2017 study on marine iguanas identified five new subspecies, and one of these subspecies was named ''Amblyrhynchus cristatus godzilla'', specifically as a reference to the incarnation from ''Film/Godzilla1998'', which was a mutated iguana.
** There is a genus of theropod dinosaur called ''Gojirasaurus''. However, it doesn't resemble the actual Godzillasaurus from ''Film/GodzillaVsKingGhidorah'', wasn't actually very large (it was large only for a theropod of the Triassic, but was dwarfed by many later species) and is possibly dubious (it may just be a large ''Coelophysis'').
** ''Scytodes kumonga'' is a species of Iranian spitting spider named after the spitting spider kaiju Kumonga. ''Anime/GodzillaSingularPoint'' makes a reference to this by giving Kumonga the scientific name ''Kumonga scytodes''.
** Remipedes are a group of centipede-like cave crustaceans closely related to insects. More than a third of the identified genera are named after various Godzilla kaiju. There's ''Godzilliognomus'', ''Godzillius'', ''Kumonga'', ''Angirasu'' (Anguirus), and ''Pleomothra'' (Mothra).
** ''Ramisyllis kingghidorahi'' is a species of polychaete worm named after Godzilla's ArchEnemy, a three-headed, two-tailed dragon. It was given this name due to its highly branching body with many posterior ends.
** Numerous other animals have names derived from Godzilla kaiju, such as ''Mecodema godzilla'' (a large ground beetle), ''Diplacodon gigan'' (an extinct ungulate named after Gigan), ''Mutotylaspis tripudium'' (a prehistoric hermit crab named after the [=MUTOs=]), and ''Agroeca angirasu'' (a spiny spider species named after Anguirus).
** A variable star in the Sunburst galaxy is named after the big lizard himself, in reference to the star being the most luminous one currently known. In 2023, another such "monstrous" star was named Mothra.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'': Two species of spiders, ''Filistata maguirei'' and ''Pritha garfieldi'', are named after Creator/TobeyMaguire and Creator/AndrewGarfield, the first two actors to play Spider-Man.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The ''Agathidium vaderi'' fungus beetle is named after Darth Vader -- if you really squint your eyes, its shell looks like the infamous Sith's armor.
** The trilobite species ''Han solo''. Officially, the genus name ''Han'' comes from the fact it's a Chinese fossil, and ''solo'' is because it's the last known surviving member of the family Diplagnostidae, but the describer later admitted he was dared by his friends to scientifically name a species after a character from ''Star Wars''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'': Species with long, horn- or nose-like projects have on occasion been named after the puppet himself. These include beetle ''Walckenaeria pinocchio'', with a long single horn; the orchid ''Masdevallia pinocchio'', whose flowers produce long, slender "spikes" from the top petal; the crab ''Oxypleurodon pinocchio'', with a long upturned rostrum; and several others.
* ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'': Multiple minor planets are named for characters from the story: 6042 Cheshirecat, 6735 Madhatter, and 6736 Marchare. The Jabberwocky from ''Through the Looking-Glass'' also has 7470 Jabberwock.
* Franchise/CthulhuMythos:
** ''Yogsothoth'' is a genus of protist named after the Outer God from the stories of Creator/HPLovecraft (due to forming spherical colonies with many round scales that bear a resemblance to the description of Yog-Sothoth resembling many floating orbs).
** ''Cthulhu'' is a genus of protist that dwells in the gut of termites that helps them digest wood, named due to its octopoid-like shape. It has a smaller close relative called ''Cthylla'', named after the daughter of Cthulhu.
* ''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'': The series' author, Creator/JamesGurney, had the theropod ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torvosaurus Torvosaurus gurneyi]]'' named after him.
* ''Literature/DonQuixote'':
** A species of the prehistoric horse ''Hipparion'', ''Hipparion rocinantis'', was named after Don Quixote's steed.
** A prehistoric clam discovered in La Mancha was named ''Dulcineaia manchegana''. Similarly, the modern sedge species ''Carex quixotiana'' was named so primarily due to being native to the area around La Mancha.
** The beetle ''Ardistomis quixotei'' was named after the main character to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the story's publication, which fell around the time of its discovery.
** ''Lohuecotitan pandafilandi'' is a giant sauropod from Spain named after Pandafilando, a giant that Don Quixote thinks is one of his enemies.
* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': A species of giant extinct vampire bat, ''Desmodus draculae'', is named after the title character (as the study naming it stated: "the greatest human vampire of folklore").
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'':
** ''Synothele arrakis'' is a jumping spider named as a reference to its unusually blue eyes, which put its describers in mind of the most characteristic sign of melange addiction.
** ''Shaihuludia'' is a genus of polychaetes -- marine worms that mostly live buried in the seafloor sediment -- named after the great sandworms (although, of course, it's got a much higher tolerance for water).
* ''Literature/GulliversTravels'':
** Lilliput has given its name to a number of tiny organisms, such as the cactus ''Blossfeldia liliputana'' (the smallest cactus known to exist, incidentally), the orchid ''Dryadella lilliputiana'', the violent ''Viola lilliputana'', the fly ''Meoneura lilliputensis'', the beetles ''Anthobium liliputense'' and ''Hypothenemus liliputianus '', and the mushroom ''Pluteus liliputianus''.
** Phobos has a number of craters named after characters and places in the story, due to Swift describing the moons of Mars there well before they were discovered.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The name of the pachycephalosaur ''Dracorex hogwartsia'' (which, note, is no longer a valid genus due to having been found to actually be the juvenile of ''Pachycephalosaurus'') means "dragon king of Hogwarts".
* ''Literature/{{Heidi}}'': Minor planet 2521 Heidi is named for the titular character.
* ''Franchise/JamesBond'': 9007 James Bond is an asteroid named after the iconic spy himself.
* ''Literature/TheJungleBook'': ''Bagheera kiplingi'' is a species of jumping spider, the genus name of which is a reference to the panther character from the book and the species name to the author, Creator/RudyardKipling. The spider species is also notable for being one of the only mostly herbivorous spider species.
* ''Literature/JurassicPark'': Creator/MichaelCrichton had the dinosaur ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichtonpelta Crichtonpelta]]'' named in his honor.
* ''Literature/TheLittlePrince'': [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit-Prince_(moon) Petit-Prince]], the first asteroid moon to have been discovered with a ground-based telescope, was named in honor of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Napol%C3%A9on,_Prince_Imperial Louis-Napoléon, Prince Imperial]]. However, its name was also intended to be an allusion to the book. In the words of its discoverers:
-->Both princes were young and adventurous, and had little fear of danger. Both were of rather small stature. They both left the confines of their cozy little worlds (asteroid B612 for the Little Prince and Chislehurst for the Prince Imperial). They both then undertook long journeys to end up in Africa, whereupon they both meet rather violent deaths ... And in both cases they lay alone for one night each after "death" and then "returned" back home...
* ''Literature/MobyDick'':
** Not surprisingly, Melville's work has been of inspiration for a few prehistoric whale names. ''Albicetus oxymycterus'' -- "sharp-nose white whale", named despite, obviously, only being known from fossil bones -- is a very early sperm whale named after the great cetacean himself. ''Livyatan melvillei'', a very large predatory sperm whale, was instead named in the author's honor.
** ''Voeltzkowia mobydick'' is a type of skink named due to a number of its traits, namely its absent hindlimbs, flipper-like forelimbs, reduced eyes, and pigment-less skin, putting its discovers in mind of the white whale.
* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'': 5048 Moriarty, 5049 Sherlock, and 5050 Doctorwatson are asteroids named for the series' three most iconic characters.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** A 2014 study that described seven species of ''Laelius'' wasps named them after the great houses of Westeros -- ''L. arryni'', ''baratheoni'', ''lannisteri'', ''martelli'', ''targaryeni'', ''tullyi'', and ''starki''.
** Prehistoric creatures named after the series include ''Targaryendraco'', a pterosaur, and ''Meraxes'', a carcharodontosaur theropod that, despite its large size, was not quite the biggest predator in its environment (it was overtopped by the even bigger ''Mapusaurus''), similarly to how Meraxes the dragon was one of the biggest to ever live was still outsized by Balerion.
* ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'': One genus of remipedes (centipede-like cave crustaceans) is named ''Morlockia'', after cannibalistic post-human troglodytes of the book (because both live underground).
* ''Literature/TolkiensLegendarium'':
** Two species of Brazilian spiders in the genus ''Ochyrocera'' are named after Tolkien's spider monsters, ''O. ungoliant'' and ''O. laracna'', the latter being derived from Shelob's Portuguese name.
** Gollum has inspired the names of a considerable number of organisms, most of them either cave- or bottom-dwellers:
*** ''Aenigmachanna gollum'' is a species of snakehead fish named in reference to being a member of a surface-dwelling group that adapted for life underground in (evolutionarily) recent times.
*** ''Galaxias gollumoides'' is a small, scaleless freshwater fish, which primarily inhabits areas of deep silt or algal growths in mountain streams.
*** ''Gollum'' is a genus of three species of small, slender sharks, sometimes referred to as gollumsharks, named after their preference for living as bottom-dwellers in deep, dark waters.
*** ''Gollumjapyx smeagol'' is a cave-dwelling insect from Spain that, like most obligate troglodytes, has pale, long-limbed features reminiscent of Gollum's.
*** ''Smeagol'' is a genus of small, pale slugs usually found living between rocks in seashore areas.
*** ''Tennesseellum gollum'', a linyphiid spider, was named in reference to "the 'evil look' of the male of this species due to the large cheliceral tubercles".
** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
*** 385446 Manwë is a trans-Neptunian object named after the ruler of the Valar. Its satellite, Thorondor, is named after the chief of the Great Eagles that serve Manwë.
*** 174567 Varda is a trans-Neptunian object named after the Vala of the stars. Its satellite Ilmarë is named after Varda's handmaid.
*** The star [=WHL0137-LS=], which at the time of its discovery in 2022 was the farthest star from Earth ever observed, was given the name Earendel, after Eärendil the Mariner and the Morning Star that he guides through the skies of Arda.
*** ''Yavanna'' is a Cretaceous tree fern named after the Vala who created plants and animals.
*** ''Ancalagon'' is a genus of Cambrian worms named after the ring of spines around their mouths, which their discoverers thought made them look reminiscent of dragons. Ancalagon also had a carnivorous mammal named after him, ''Ankalagon saurognathus''. It was supposed to be ''Ancalagon'', but the aforementioned worms [[OneSteveLimit forced a change]].
*** A considerable number of the moths of the genus ''Elachista'' described by the Finnish entomologist Lauri Kalia have been named after elven characters from the story, such as ''Elachista aredhella'', ''E. celegormella'', ''E. diorella'', ''E. turoella'', and so on.
** ''Literature/TheHobbit'':
*** ''Breviceps bagginsi'', common name Bilbo's rain frog, was named such because its discoverer had fond memories of reading the novel to his children. Bilbo also lent his name to the asteroid 2991 Bilbo.
*** ''Smaug'' is used as the name of a genus of spiny African lizards, which were named partly due to their resemblance to small armored dragons and partly because their range is centered around the Free State province of South Africa, which was Tolkien's birthplace. The dragon also lent his name to the Indian gecko ''Cnemaspis smaug''.
*** ''Beorn'' is a genus of Cretaceous tardigrades -- water bears, in common terms -- named after the man who can turn into a bear.
** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
*** Gandalf has provided a name for both the flatworm genus ''Gandalfia'' and the crab genus ''Gandalfus''.
*** ''Anthracosuchus balrogus'' is a genus of crocodile-like reptiles that received both its genus ("coal crocodile") and its species names as references to having first been discovered in the depths of a mine.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'': 12796 Kamenrider is an asteroid named for the series and its titular character(s).
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': There is a species of sea slug named ''Marianina khaleesi'' after Daenerys Targaryen, who holds the title of "Khaleesi", because its back resembles her white-blonde hair when she wears it in elaborate braids.
* Creator/MontyPython: Each member has an asteroid named after them: 9617 Grahamchapman, 9618 Johncleese, 9619 Terrygilliam, 9620 Ericidle, 9621 Michaelpalin, and 9622 Terryjones.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** ''Annuntidiogenes worfi'', a hermit crab, and ''Synopeas klingunculum'', a wasp, were named due to possessing wrinkled structures on their crania reminiscent of the Klingons' famous foreheads.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'':
*** ''Conus tribblei'', a sea snail, is an indirect version. It was named after one of its discoverers' pet cat, who was in turned named after ''Star Trek''[='=]s tribbles.
*** ''Paridris gorn'', a wasp, was named after its compound eyes that resembled those of reptilian Gorns.
*** ''Ledella spocki'' is a clam whose valves put its describes in mind of Vulcan ears.
*** The astroid 2309 Mr. Spock is an indirect example; it was named for its discoverer's ''pet cat'', which was named after the character.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
*** ''Boeckaspis geordii'', a trilobite, was named so due to its eye ridge's resemblance to Jordi's visor.
*** ''Bolianus'' is a genus of beetles with a long groove along their heads that resembles the characteristic ridge running down the Bolians' faces.
** The NASA space shuttle OV-101 was originally going to be named ''Constitution'', but, at the request of President Ford following hundreds of thousands of letters from Trekkies, it was named ''Enterprise'' after the flagship of the series. The shuttle is occasionally referenced by the franchise, [[CelebrityParadox implying that the Federation starship was named after the NASA spacecraft]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* Music/TheBeatles:
** One of the earliest instance of ''Australopithecus afarensis'' has been named Lucy because, when the fossils were discovered, the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was played in the expedition camp.
** Besides the asteroid 8749 Beatles, which is named for the band itself, there are asteroids named after all four members: 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, and 4150 Starr.
* Music/ElvisPresley: 17059 Elvis, a minor planet named for Elvis himself.
* Music/FrankZappa has been the inspiration for naming sveral different scientific discoveries, to the point that it is a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa#References_in_arts_and_sciences section in his article]] on Wikipedia
* Music/GreenDay: The flowering plant species ''Macrocarpaea dies-viridis'' (common name "Green Day moon-gentian") was named in reference to the band. The specific name comes from the Latin words ''dies'' and ''viridis'', meaning "day" and "green", respectively.
* Music/JoyDivision: Four species in the trilobite genus ''Bathyurina'' were named after the members of the band; ''Bathyurina curtisi'' (Ian Curtis), ''Bathyurina hooki'' (Peter Hook), ''Bathyurina morrisi'' (Stephen Morris), and ''Bathyruina sumneri'' (Bernard Sumner).
* Music/PinkFloyd:
** The pterosaur species ''Tupuxuara deliradamus'' has a specific name derived from the song "[[Music/WishYouWereHere Shine on You Crazy Diamond]]". The Latin word ''delirus'' means "crazy" or "insane", and ''adamus'' (meaning "invincible") is where the word "diamond" comes from.
** The Pink Floyd pistol shrimp, ''Synalpheus pinkfloydi'', was named after the band due to its distinctive reddish-pink claw. An article about the species' discovery pointed out that the shrimp is "unlikely to occur on ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' due to lack of suitable habitat."
** ''Pinkfloydia'' is a genus of long-jawed orb weaver spiders from Australia.
** ''Cephalonomia pinkfloydi'' is a bethylid wasp from New Zealand.
* Music/PorcupineTree: The extinct brittle star ''Lapidaster hystricarboris'' is named after the band -- ''Hystrix'' is a genus of porcupine, and ''arbor'' is Latin for "tree".
* Music/SexPistols: Five species in the trilobite genus ''Arcticalymene'' were named for the band's members; ''Arcticalymene cooki'' (Paul Cook), ''Arcticalymene jonesi'' (Steve Jones), ''Arcticalymene matlocki'' (Glen Matlock), ''Arcticalymene rotteni'' (Johnny Rotten), and ''Arcticalymene viciousi'' (Sid Vicious).
* Music/{{Sting}}: 601916 Sting is a minor planet in the Asteroid Belt named for the man himself.
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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'': ''Halystina umberlee'' is a deep-water snail named after the Faerûnian goddess of the oceans.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': ''Abaddon despoliator'' is a species of harvestman adorned with prominent keratinous spikes, which reminded its discoverers of how Abaddon the Despoiler is "typically portrayed adorned with spikes and various sharp things".
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[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theater/LaBoheme'': Alcindoromycine, bohemamine, collinemycin, mimimycin, musettamycin, marcellomycin, and rudolphomycin are all anthracycline antibiotic agents named after the opera and its various characters.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'': A species of extinct bandicoots from the Miocene was given the scientific name ''Crash bandicoot''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Factorio}}'': The scorpion ''Neobuthus factorio'' was described by František Kovařík, the father of Michal Kovařík, the game's lead designer, who decided to name the new species after his son's game.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** The dicynodont ''Bulbasaurus'' is an ambiguous case. Formally, it's named after the unusually pronounced, bulbous growths in the area around its nose. However, when asked on the matter, its discoverers stated that the name resemblance "may not be entirely coincidental".
** A protein involved in the function of neural synapses is named pikachurin in reference to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves".
** ''Aerodactylus'' is a small pterosaur, closely related to ''Pterodactylus'', named after Aerodactyl.
** Three species of ''Binburrum'' beetles formally described together in 2020 were named after the Legendary Birds -- ''B. articuno'', ''B. zapdos'', and ''B. moltres''.
** A subspecies of spider with the name ''treecko'' exists, after the Grass-Type Starter in the Third Generation; amusingly, it's part of the ''Rathalos'' genus, but it's unclear whether or not the nomenclature was inspired by ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' or not, as the taxonomic report claims it's an "arbitrary combination of letters". The same occasion saw the naming of two new ''Anyphaena'' spiders, ''A. grovyle'' and ''A. sceptile'', as an extension of this trend.
** ''Nocticola pheromosa'' is a cockroach species named after the Ultra Beast Pheromosa, due to the latter being an anthropomorphic roach.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': A group of proteins that control growth in embryos are referred to as the hedgehog proteins due to their removal causing the growth of spiky structures in subjects. The first two variants identified were named ''desert hedgehog'' and ''Indian hedgehog''; the third is called ''Sonic hedgehog''. Its inhibitor was then called robotnikinin.
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[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland'': 10003 Caryhuang is an asteroid named after Cary Kaiming Huang, one of the co-creators.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': The ''Spongiforma squarepantsii'' fungus was named after its fruiting body's resemblance to an orangish-yellowish sea sponge. The name was originally rejected by the ''Mycologia'' journal as being frivolous, but the fungus' describers were able to insist that, as its discoverers, they had the right to name it whatever they wished to.
* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': ''Ninjemys'' is a species of giant, horned stem-turtle from Australia, the scientific name of which translates to "ninja turtle", stated in its description to be "in allusion to that totally rad, fearsome foursome epitomizing shelled success".
[[/folder]]
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