In 2022 Russia taught us to honor Ukraine and its names.

At its Jan. 22 annual meeting (held online for the third year in a row), the American Name Society voted Ukraine as 2022’s Name of the Year. Though Americans used to call this country “the Ukraine,” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and Ukrainians’ heroic resistance cemented the use of “Ukraine,” which Ukrainians themselves prefer, as the way Americans refer to the country.

ANS chooses Names of the Year for place names, personal Names, artistic-literary names, trade names, Enames and miscellaneous names before picking the overall Name of the Year.

Kyiv won as Place Name of the Year. The capitol city of Ukraine used to be called “Kiev” in English, a version still used in terms like “Chicken Kiev.” In 2022 American media almost all switched to “Kyiv”, which more accurately represents the Ukrainian language name of the city. Kyiv’s main competitors in the category were Mariupol, another Ukrainian city largely destroyed by Russian forces before they occupied it last May; and Uvalde, name of the Texas town which became a symbol of gun violence after the mass shooting at an elementary school last May 24 killed 19 children and two teachers.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was declared Personal Name of the Year. When he was elected President of Ukraine in 2019, many American publications called him “Vladimir Zelensky,” the Russian form of his name. Here also we’ve learned to use the correct Ukrainian form. Other nominees in the category were Ketanji Brown Jackson, who became the newest justice on the Supreme Court June 30; and King Charles III. When he succeeded to the British throne upon Queen Elizabeth’s death, some were surprised he designated himself “King Charles”, despite his lifetime as Prince Charles, thinking it “unlucky” since King Charles I (1600-1649) was beheaded during the English Civil War.

Perhaps Jan. 1 should be Founders Day at the FBI.

J. Edgar Hoover, appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at its creation in 1935, was born on New Year’s Day 1895. He remained director until his death on May 2, 1972. During his lifetime, Hoover was lauded as a crime fighter who promoted forensic laboratories. Since his death, his reputation has fallen as his use of abusive means to maintain influence have been revealed. However, he remains one of the 20th century’s most famous law enforcement leaders.

The first famous Edgar (943-975) became king of England at age 16. Though at first a frivolous womanizer, Edgar later promoted justice and religion. There was so little violence during his reign, he’s called Edgar the Peaceful. He was venerated as St. Edgar soon after his death.

Despite that, his name almost disappeared after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Shakespeare surely chose Edgar for the Duke of Gloucester’s honest son in “King Lear” (1606) because it was fit for a character from Britain’s legendary past.

Famous author Edgar Allan Poe’s parents were actors who’d performed in “King Lear” shortly before his 1809 birth. They may have also read “Edgar Huntly” (1799), a Gothic tale of sleepwalking and murder by American Charles Brockden Brown, making Edgar apt for the writer of macabre tales like “The Pit and the Pendulum.”

Happy birthday to Lightfoot, Starman, Rooster Cogburn and Otis “Bad” Blake!

Actor Jeff Bridges was born Jeffrey Leon Bridges on Dec. 4, 1949. Nominated for Best Actor for “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” (1974), “Starman” (1984), and “True Grit” (2010), he won playing alcoholic country singer Blake in “Crazy Heart” (2009). He’s had three Best Supporting nods, including “The Last Picture Show” (1971) and “Hell or High Water” (2016), making him among the youngest and oldest actors nominated.

In the early 19th century parents, inspired by flower names like Lily and Violet, started naming daughters after gems like Ruby, Pearl and Opal.