ActionScript 3.0 :: Object Sending Its Name To A Global Function

I'm trying to send an object's name to a global actionscript function. It works with a listener in the action layer:

_root.ButtonName.onRelease = function() {
trace(this._name);
}

But there will be hundreds of these objects, so I'd like to have each one call a global function, so I tried code for each button like this:

on (release) {
GlobalFunctionName(this._name);
}

But for some reason, the value being passed is null. (Although if I switch "this._name" for a string, that works correctly.) Question: How can a drone object pass its name to a central function? Should I be using "on (release)" or should I use a listener within each object instead? Also, is it best to make them Buttons or Graphics or Movie Clips since there will be so many of them?