on·o·mas·tics (ŏn′ə-măs′ tĭks) singular noun [French onomastique, from Greek onomastikos, to name, from onoma, name]: the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names.
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Conference Information

The ANS 2025 Annual Conference will be held ONLINE, February 22, 2025, and not in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America. [read more]

About the ANS

The American Name Society was founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad. It is a non-profit organization that seeks to find out what really is in a name, and to investigate cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names. [read more]

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Focusing on the understanding of names in all forms, the Society provides members with several vehicles for the discussion and publication of onomastic theory, views and concepts: our annual meeting, regional meetings, and NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics. [read more]

Recent News

Call for Papers: ANS 2026

  Call for Papers The 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society ONLINE (via Zoom) 21 February 2026  … read more

Summer 2025 ANS Bulletin Now Available!

The American Name Society is pleased to bring you our Summer 2025 Bulletin Click here to download the Summer 2025 ANS… read more

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