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I've always referred to "^" as a "carrot symbol".

Assuming you refer to the symbol when placed above a musical notes:

• mar·ca·to (mär-kä'tÅ

I always thought it was known as a thingamajig(or one of the alternate spellings thereof).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melodic_accent

Consider the source, but a good starting point...

Another way to look at it: ^ = > + .
Carot equals accent plus staccato

Our band director has us reading a learned paper on Jazz Interpretation by SgtMaj John Brye, US Army Field Band. He writes about ^ terming it "marcato (cap)". I assume 'cap' is a colloquial term. Sure is easier for director to yell directions with.

"Dot"

Circumflex.

...when used as a marcato, the meaning depends on the instrument. Bowed strings use marcato to mean that each note is played using a new stroke, rather than just continuing a stroke. Each note occupies its full time value.

...on wind instruments, a note that is customarily 2/3 of its notated duration and is started with with an accented attack.

Also, a brand of pasta machine:

http://www.marcato-omc.com/

Chuck(G) wrote:Circumflex.

...when used as a marcato, the meaning depends on the instrument. Bowed strings use marcato to mean that each note is played using a new stroke, rather than just continuing a stroke. Each note occupies its full time value.

...on wind instruments, a note that is customarily 2/3 of its notated duration and is started with with an accented attack.

Also, a brand of pasta machine:

http://www.marcato-omc.com/

Does that go with a kitchen mandolin? Yes, cooking and music have a lot in common. And not just personally, in spite of the fact I am the musician and the cook in my family's household!

A nose in the air, as in ;^)

Jared wrote:so...what is this ">" called? Accent? Macrcato? Greater Than? Go Right?

That's just a capital "." . Get real, man!

It is an accent.

Jared wrote:What the heck is it(^) called? . . . .

Marcato, I read somewhere, is used to designate an unexpectedly forceful attack sufficient to surprise the audience. However, the surprise effect is certainly lost for one or two measures of runs.

yep circumflex - in French at least

In Portuguese: Acento Circunflexo.

"^" = marcato (think of lots of tongue in the attack)
">" = accent (think of lots of air behind the attack)

Jared wrote:The marcato is a strong accent, somewhat forced, and usually struck hard. It is often used as a hard impact effect resulting in a loud attack.

Your source is talking about string bowings, not wind instruments. As I noted, the notion and execution of accents are quite different with strings.

For a very good treatise see:

http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory21.htm#accent

bloke wrote:In Jared's favor, I've noticed that (from strings to winds) interpretation and execution of markings is very inconsistent, but the names of the markings tend to be pretty consistent.

And that's the problem--Jared's illustration seems to call a normal accent a marcato and a marcato a martellato. I don't think I've ever heard anyone call a normal accent a marcato before now.

Although, Dr. Blood does state:

Martelé (Fr.); Martellato (It.); Marcato (It.) notes are played with accented force, literally “hammeredâ€