Named in honor of the French amateur astronomer Michel-Alain Combes (1942– ), who for many years has been interested in minor planets, especially the near-earth asteroids and their discovery circumstances. He writes a regular column about minor planets in the French periodical L’Astronomie, and he contributed to the Dictionary of Minor Planet Names by L. D. Schmadel {see planet  (2234)}, who found the identification involving this planet and who proposed the name. (M 21130) _ _.