family name; professional name
Refers to a name passed down in traditional arts, kabuki, rakugo, or sumo, carrying the prestige and legacy of the lineage. Not used for ordinary surnames.
He succeeded to a kabuki stage name.
名跡を継承するには厳しい修行が必要だ。
Inheriting a professional name requires rigorous training.
sumo elder stock; toshiyori myoseki
Compound of 名 (name) and 跡 (trace, mark), literally 'name trace', referring to the inherited name and its legacy.