And here is the code: 

<?php
namespace A {
  class A  {
    function __construct() {
      echo \C\C::getName() . "\n";
    }	
  }
}
namespace B {
  abstract class B {
    static protected $name = '';
    function getName() {
      return static::$name;
    }
  } 
}
namespace C {
  class C extends \B\B {
    static protected $name  = 'C';
  }
}
namespace {  
  echo \C\C::getName() . "\n";
  $a = new \A\A();
}
?>

It's hard to explain, but it's expected.

In case the method getName() doesn't declared as "static" it's called dynamically with current $this (A). This feature is kept for ages for backward compatibility. You can even see "strict" warning:

Strict Standards: Non-static method B::getName() should not be called statically, assuming $this from incompatible context in ...

In case you declare getName() "static" you'll get that you expect.