"Moby" is the short form of "Moby-Dick," which is a novel written by Herman Melville. In this context, "Name before Dick" refers to the full name of the novel's protagonist, Captain Ahab, whose name appears before the word "Dick" in the title "Moby-Dick."
Note: The provided meaning of the answer is for the latest New York Times crossword puzzle clue: Half of a Melville title. Explanations are generated by AI and may be inaccurate.