In January 2016, the scholars of the American Name Society selected “Caitlyn Jenner” as the official Name of the Year for 2015. One of the main reasons for this decision was the socio-historical significance that this name had in highlighting the importance of transgenderism across the United States and the around the world. The process of selecting a new name to mark one’s declaration of self is a common and often highly emotional experience for people within the transgender community. In her TIME article, Katy Steinmetz discusses how some prominent transgender people went about this process.

One of the interesting questions that new same-sex parents often face is what names their children should use to distinguish between them. In a family with two differently gendered parents, this issue is often fairly straight-forward (e.g. Mom and Dad; Ma and Pa). But in families with two moms or two dads, creativity is often called for. In a great video by Brandy and Susan of The Next Family, the two moms discuss how they dealt with finding names within their own family.

At the recent meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Names / Société canadienne d’onomastique in Calgary, Alberta, Dr. Carol Lombard delivered the keynote address on her doctoral research about cattle brands in Montana.

“Did you know that mispronouncing a student’s name negates the identity of the student? This can lead to anxiety and resentment which, in turn, can hinder academic progress.”

My Name, My Identity helps build positive school culture and promotes respect of students and families.

The Philippines is a nation of nicknames, using someone’s full name sounds ludicrously formal.

The Australian Broadcasting Commission’s South-East Asia correspondent Adam Harvey reports from Manila how he got into trouble for taking a photograph of the US Embassy. He is confronted by the security guard who demanded to see his ID, and was asked his height, weight, and nickname.