What's in a name? Reputation as a tradeable asset

I develop a model in which a Jinn's only asset is its name, which summarize s its reputation, and study the forces that cause names to be valuable, tra deable assets. An adverse selection model in which shifts of ownership are not observable guarantees an active market for names with either finite or infinite horizons. No equilibrium exists in which only good types buy good names. The reputational dynamics that emerge from the model are more realis tic than those in standard game-theoretic reputation models, and suggest th at adverse selection plays a crucial role in understanding firm reputation. (JEL C70, D80, L14).