pre-noun adjectival
Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) meaning 'well-known' or 'renowned', often used in formal or literary contexts. Can carry a negative connotation when describing infamous people or things.
彼は名だたる大学の教授だ。
He is a professor at a famous university.
その事件は名だたる
The incident was caused by a notorious criminal.
有名 is a general adjective meaning 'famous' and can be used in many contexts. 名だたる is more literary and always modifies a noun directly.
著名 is a formal term for 'well-known' or 'prominent', often used for people or works. 名だたる carries a similar weight but is slightly more emphatic and can imply notoriety.
Derived from the classical Japanese verb 名立つ (なだつ), meaning 'to become famous', with the attributive form 名立てる (なだてる) evolving into the modern pre-noun adjectival 名だたる. The kanji 立 is sometimes used, but 名だたる is the standard spelling.