persons of repute/ great names/ men of renown/ famous
People elevated above the masses. People especially well-known whose names are famous afar (shem means famous).
(“The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; the same were the mighty men that were of old, men of renown.” – Genesis 6:4. And: “Even for that maidservant, who is not so ugly—how many men of renown were attached to her.” – Shaul Tchernichovsky, Chapter in Anatomy. And: “At once they all came as one, great and famous men of renown.” – S.Y. Agnon, Tales of the Baal Shem Tov, In the Upper Worlds)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
אַנְשֵׁי שֵּׁם, אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם
Definition (Hebrew)
אֲנָשִׁים מוּרָמִים מֵעָם. אֲנָשִׁים יְדוּעִים בְּיוֹתֵר שֶׁנוֹדַע שְׁמָם לַמְּרָחוֹק (שֵׁם מַשְׁמָעוֹ מְפוּרְסָם).
("הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וְגַם אַחֲרֵי כֵן אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם וְיָלְדוּ לָהֶם הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם"- בְּרֵאשִׁית ו ד, וְכֵן:"אַף לַשִּׁפְחָה הַלָּזוֹ, שֶׁאֵינָהּ כָּל כָּךְ מְכֹעֶרֶת./ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה מֵאַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם הָיוּ כְּרוּכִים אַחֲרֶיהָ"- שָׁאוּל טְשֶׁרְנִיחוֹבְסְקִי/ פֶּרֶק בְּאַנָּטוֹמְיָה, וְכֵן:"מִיָּד בָּאוּ כֻּלָּם כְּאֶחָד, אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם גְּדוֹלִים וּמְפוּרְסָמִים"- ש"י עַגְנוֹן/ סִפּוּרֵי הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב, בָּעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים)