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 2026 Annual Conference will be held ONLINE, February 21, 2026, 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: Academics on Fire: Controversies over (Re)Naming Educational Institutions (ANS Panel @ LSA 2027, San Francisco, 6-9 January 2027)

Call for Papers Academics on Fire: Controversies over (Re)Naming Educational Institutions an organized session at the 2027 annual meeting of… read more

Announcement: Best Article of the Year 2025 in NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics

In the Winter of each year, the members of the NAMES Editorial Board review and select the best article of… read more

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