Ever since Carl Linnaeus's binomial system of scientific names was adopted in the 18th century, scientists have been eponymously naming organisms in ways that both honor and vilify their namesakes. Here biologist Stephen Heard examines the fascinating stories behind taxonomic nomenclature, from Linnaeus himself naming a small and unpleasant weed after a rival botanist to the recent influx of scientific names based on pop-culture icons—including David Bowie's spider, Frank Zappa's jellyfish, and Beyoncé's fly, plus a fungus named for SpongeBob SquarePants.