出名
chūmíng · HSK 6
become well-known
📣 出 (chū, exit/out) + 名 (míng, name) = your name goes out into the world
出名 literally means name-goes-out. When your 名 (name) 出 (exits) into public circulation, you become famous. Compare 有名 (have name = famous) — 出名 emphasizes the act of becoming known.
出 — foot 止 emerging from enclosure 凵
出 is a pictograph showing a foot or plant stepping out of a hollow or enclosure, depicting the act of going forth. The original sense of 'coming out' or 'emerging' has remained stable since oracle bone script. It now broadly means 'to exit, go out, or produce.'
名 — evening 夕 + mouth 口
A compound ideograph: in the dark of evening (夕), one cannot recognize others by sight, so the mouth (口) calls out a name to identify oneself. The original sense of 'name' broadened to include reputation, fame, and a measure word for people.