The word "驰名" is formed by combining the character "驰", meaning to gallop or spread rapidly, with "名", meaning name or reputation. "驰" is composed of the radical "马" (horse) indicating movement and the phonetic component "也", while "名" is composed of "夕" (evening) and "口" (mouth) historically referring to announcing one's name. Together, "驰" metaphorically describes the swift dissemination of "名", resulting in the meaning of being widely known or famous.