on behalf of vs in the name of

[Offroad]

Dear teachers

I believe I already asked this question before, I've searched the forums but found nothing...so I'm going to ask again:

How do I differentiate between those two?

On behalf of <name>, I would like to...
In the name of <name>, I would like to...

Many thanks

[bhaisahab]

Dear teachers

I believe I already asked this question before, I've searched the forums but found nothing...so I'm going to ask again:

How do I differentiate between those two?

On behalf of <name>, I would like to...
In the name of <name>, I would like to...

Many thanks

I am only familiar with "On behalf of" in that context.

[iKitty]

NOT A TEACHER

On behalf of usually means to do something in someone else's place.

With the exception of some prayers and religious declarations*, In the name of is more commonly used to denote something with a person's name on it.


I actually used the latter expression today. My mother needed to collect a prescription for some tablets from the doctor's surgery, but she was feeling unwell, so I offered to go to the surgery on her behalf [here it would be incorrect to write in her name].

I said to the receptionist:

I'm here to collect a prescription in the name of Mrs Richards.

In other words, the prescription had the name 'Richards' written on it.

Equally, I could have said:

I'm here to collect a prescription on behalf of my mother. Her name is Mrs Richards.

However, if I had simply said:

I'm here to collect a prescription on behalf of Mrs Richards

it would not have been clear to the receptionist that the prescription was actually in the name of Mrs Richards. The prescription Mrs Richards had intended to collect could have been in the name of someone else altogether!

Does that help clarify things at all? I'm not an English teacher, so I may not have explained it very well.

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*By this I mean such expressions as In the name of Christ, in the name of Allah, etc.

[Offroad]

Yes, your explanation is clear!

But... in this context, what's the meaning of 'in the name of'?

... then it is illogical for the Court to upend a specific consensus in the name of a more general tradition.

Thank you

[jahildebrandt]

Not a teacher.


I would say that "on behalf of" represents consent from the person one is acting for, whereas "in the name of" may not have express consent.

"I'm here on behalf of my mother."
vs.
"We fight in the name of the Lord!"

[Raymott]

Yes, your explanation is clear!

But... in this context, what's the meaning of 'in the name of'?

... then it is illogical for the Court to upend a specific consensus in the name of a more general tradition.

Thank you

This is probably used inappropriately unless the tradition has a name. "in the name of tradition" might be better.
It seems to mean "to accord with", "to follow the customs of".
If there is a specific tradition that the courts follow, eg. Habeus Corpus, it would be right to say, "... then it is illogical for the Court to upend a specific consensus in the name of Habeus Corpus."
And "on behalf of" can't be substituted there.

PS: I don't much like 'upend' in that sentence.