A
name is a
term used for identification. Names can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. A
personal name identifies, not necessarily uniquely, a
specific individual human. The name of a specific entity is sometimes called a
proper name (although that term has a philosophical meaning also) and is, when consisting of only one word, a
proper noun. Other nouns are sometimes called "
common names" or (
obsolete) "
general names". A name can be given to a person, place, or thing; for example, parents can give their child a name or scientist can give an element a name.