Final answer:
Napier's bones are named after John Napier and were called 'bones' possibly due to their bone-like ivory appearance or as a colloquial term for carrying information.
Step-by-step explanation:
Napier's bones got their name from John Napier, the Scottish mathematician who invented them. These were a set of numbered rods which could be used to perform calculations such as multiplication and division. Although they are called bones, they were originally made from ivory, brass, or wood, not from actual human or animal bone. The name bones likely came from the bone-like appearance of the ivory rods or might colloquially refer to objects that hold information, much like how the word is used in other contexts such as 'knowing something in one's bones' or referring to dice as bones. This innovative tool allowed users to calculate products and quotients much faster than conventional methods of the time.