Terms of endearment? Bias in first-name eponyms for species named after people

A study published in Nature on June 16, 2026, identified a significant bias in the naming of newly discovered species, revealing that over 75% of species named after people use only their first names. This practice, termed "first-name eponyms," disproportionately favors male scientists, with 88% of these first-name eponyms referring to men. The research analyzed 1,700 species named after individuals between 1980 and 2020, finding that this trend is more prevalent in certain fields, such as entomology, where 90% of species named after people use first names. The authors suggest this pattern may reflect broader societal biases in recognizing scientific contributions and could obscure the full legacy of researchers, particularly women. They advocate for the consistent use of full names or formal titles when naming species to ensure equitable recognition. The study also noted a slight increase in the use of full names in recent years, but the first-name eponym trend remains dominant.