a handle to (one's) name
A sobriquet, title, or designation. Big guys always seem to have things like "Tiny" as a handle to their name. Now that you've got your PhD, you've got a handle to your name, doctor!
handle to one's name
A nickname or title, as in He was knighted and now had a handle to his name, or His gluttony earned him a handle to his name, Big Mouth. [First half of 1800s]