"Named" vs "called"

Over on Stackoverflow, I keep seeing questions wherein posters say:

*I have an item named SoAndSo (a table, a file, etc.).

Shouldn't it be:

*I have an item called SoAndSo.

Is "named" an acceptable word in this context? Are those words specific to a particular English speakers, e.g. UK vs. USA vs. Australia, etc.?

Solution 1:

If the name of the item is indeed SoAndSo, then it is reasonable and correct to refer to it as an “item named SoAndSo”. If in addition to being named SoAndSo it usually is called SoAndSo, it still is ok to refer to it as an item named SoAndSo (and also would be ok to refer to it as an item called SoAndSo).

But if, although usually called SoAndSo, it actually has some name other than that, then it would be incorrect to refer to it as an “item named SoAndSo”.

Some further examples appear in answers to “Don’t know what the name is” vs. “Don’t know what it’s called”.

Solution 2:

You should definitely use named to describe a table, function or any other software construct, especially if it is in a written context. It isn't a matter of formality, but more like notation in math, where you say a "variable named X".

If describing an alias, one might be more likely to use called.

Here's an explanation that is specific to programming, emphasis mine:

A variable is a symbolic name for (or reference to) information. The variable's name represents what information the variable contains. They are called variables because the represented information can change but the operations on the variable remain the same... This is similar to mathematics...

Solution 3:

Using the word named in that context, sounds very formal. Here in the UK, people usually use the word called.