Registration Opens: ANS Name of the Year Discussion and Vote (Virtual, 9 January 2025)

ANS Name of the Year Discussion and Vote

Thursday, January 9, 2025 on Zoom, 12 – 2pm PST

REGISTRATION is now open! Click here to register for the discussion and vote.

Join us for our annual Name of the Year discussion! We will be nominating, discussing, and voting on eligible names in the following categories:

Personal Names: Names of groups or individuals, including nicknames, given names, surnames, or a combination of these.
Place Names: Names or nicknames of any real geographical locations (e.g., rivers, lakes, mountains, streets, buildings, regions, countries, etc.).
Brand Names: Names of commercial products, companies, organizations, and businesses (both for-profit and non-profit). This category includes personal names used as brands for commerce.
Artistic/Literary Names: Names of fictional persons, places, or institutions, in any written, oral, or visual medium (e.g., titles of art or musical works, books, plays, tv programs, movies, games, etc.).
E-Names: Names of online platforms, websites, and movements, as well as hashtags, usernames, etc.
Miscellaneous Names: Names that do not fit in any of the above five categories.

The discussion will be conducted by Laurel Sutton, ANS President and Name of the Year Coordinator.

If you have not done so already, you can nominate names via this form

Advance nominations must be received no later than December 31st, 2024, at midnight Pacific.

Tickets to this event are free!

The URL to our Zoom room will be sent to everyone who registers for this event.

Please review previous Name of the Year reports, to better understand the type of names that will be accepted:

Name of the Year Report 2023 (PDF)

Name of the Year Report 2022 (PDF)

Name of the Year Report 2021 (PDF)

The Most Common Surnames in America

A recent study by Ancestry.com explores the most frequently occuring American surnames, compiling data gathered from phone books. ‘Smith’ emerges as the most common example by some considerable margin, topping the list in 40 states. Other popular surnames include Johnson, Miller, Jones, Williams, and Anderson.

A follow-up article by Newsweek dug deeper into the evidence and asked what this onomastic survey might tell us about America: the origins of many of these names, historic and modern patterns of immigration, and demographic variations across the country. Their article also includes a handy interactive map that lets you view the breakdown by state – explore away!

-T.K.A

Source: Pexels (Pexels Licence)

The Most Popular Baby Names

A new study by BabyCentre explores recent trends in baby naming.

US data suggests that the most popular baby names of 2024 so far are Noah and Olivia. Olivia has proved consistently popular in the US for some time, and has been among the top three female names since 2012. Interestingly, this is trend mirrored in much of the rest of the English-speaking word: Noah and Olivia are also the most popular baby names in both the UK and Canada (for the latest published data). Noah is also popular in Aotearoa, where the top female name is instead Charlotte. Australia, in contrast, is most fond of the names Oliver and Isla.

-T.K.A

Source: Pexels (shared under CC0)

American Name Society Bulletin, Summer 2024, Now available!

Click here to download the Summer 2024 ANS Bulletin.

In this issue, you will find:

American Name Society Seeking New ANS Officers for 2025
NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics Editorial Board Reviewers Needed!
NAMES New AI Policy
Book Titles and Reviewers Wanted!
Legacy Tribes to Deceased ANS Members
- John Alger (1930-2019)
- Edwin Lawson (1923-2021)
- Wolfgang Ahrens (1940-2022)
- Thomas Gasque (1937-2023)

Call for Abstracts: On Names, Naming, and Diversity in Youth Literature LAST CALL (DUE 15 AUGUST 2024)

Call for Abstracts

Call for Book Chapter Proposals On Names, Naming, and Diversity

in Youth Literature

LAST CALL

Recent years have seen a significant increase in works of fiction that champion and celebrate diversity and inclusion for young readers. This literary evolutionary literature has also introduced children, to the enormous diversity of. The current call is for book chapters that examine how youth literature use names to present that child, adolescent, teen, and tween readers ethnic, cultural, linguistic, neurological, religious, diversity. Proposals centered on the use of names and naming in youth literature dealing with individuals, families, and communities from the following groupings are particularly, but by no means exclusively welcomed:

ethnoracial minorities, including those with mixed heritage
The differently abled
LGBTQ+
communities of faith
Immigrants and asylum-seekers

Although the proposals must be in English, the works selected for examination may include other languages. Proposals will be judged upon their thematic fit and potential to make a substantive contribution to the fields of onomastics and literary studies. All Interested authors are asked to submit formal proposals using the following guidelines.

Proposal Submission Process

Abstract proposals (max. 500 words, excluding the title and references) should be sent as a PDF email attachment to Professor I. M. Nick (nameseditor@gmail.com)
For organizational purposes, the proposals must include “DIVERSITY” in the subject line of the email
All proposals must include an abstract, title, and a preliminary list of references;
The full name(s) of the author(s) and their affiliation(s) must appear in the body of the email. These details should NOT appear in the attached proposal.
In the case of multi-authored submissions, one person must be clearly designated as the primary contact
The DEADLINE for proposal submissions is August 15, 2024. All proposals will be submitted to a double-blind review process. Authors will be notified about acceptance on or by September 15, 2024
Final chapters (max 7,000 words, excluding abstracts and references) will be due February 15, 2025

For further information about this call, please feel free to contact Professor I. M. Nick (nameseditor@gmail.com). We look forward to receiving your proposals!

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Call for Papers: The 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society (DUE 26 August 2024)

The deadline for the

Call for Papers

for the 2025 Annual Meeting of the

American Name Society

ONLINE (via Zoom)

22 February 2025

HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 26 August 2024

Due to an unexpected issue with the draft submission email address, we are extending the deadline for the call for papers for the 2025 Annual Meeting.

The American Name Society is now inviting proposals for papers for its next annual conference. The one-day event will be held virtually via Zoom, allowing for the attendance of onomastics scholars from around the world. The 2025 ANS conference will not be held in conjunction with the Linguistics Society of America conference.

Abstracts in any area of onomastic research are welcome: personal names, place names, business and institutional names, names theory, names in literature, among others.

Proposals require these elements:

Title of proposed paper
250-word abstract
Shorter 100-word abstract suitable for inclusion in conference program
50-word biography suitable for inclusion in conference program

To submit a proposal, complete the 2025 Author Information Form found here:

http://www.americannamesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ANS-2025-Author-Info-Sheet.doc

Email completed forms to us at: abstracts@americannamesociety.org

For organizational purposes, place “ANS2025” in the subject of your email.

The DEADLINE for receipt of abstracts is August 26, 2024.

All proposals will be subjected to blind review. Notification of proposal acceptances will be sent by September 30, 2024. Authors whose papers have been accepted must be current members of ANS and must register for the annual meeting. Please contact us at the above email address if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to receiving your submission!

Rare White Buffalo Named in Yellowstone

According to a recent NPR article, a white buffalo has been named as part of a ceremony celebrating its birth near Yellowstone National Park. The name Wakan Gli was chosen, which means ‘Returned Sacred’ in Lakota. White buffalo are remarkably rare and carry spiritual significance to a number of Native American tribes; Wakan Gli is the first white buffalo ever recorded in Yellowstone Park.

Call for Papers: The 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society (DUE 31 July 2024)

Call for Papers

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the

American Name Society

ONLINE (via Zoom)

22 February 2025

Abstracts in any area of onomastic research are welcome: personal names, place names, business and institutional names, names theory, names in literature, among others.

Proposals require these elements:

Title of proposed paper
250-word abstract
Shorter 100-word abstract suitable for inclusion in conference program
50-word biography suitable for inclusion in conference program

To submit a proposal, complete the 2025 Author Information Form found here:

http://www.americannamesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ANS-2025-Author-Info-Sheet.doc

Email completed forms to Dr. Michel Nguessan at: abstracts@americannamesociety.org

For organizational purposes, place “ANS2025” in the subject of your email.

The DEADLINE for receipt of abstracts is July 31, 2024. (LAST CALL)

All proposals will be subjected to blind review. Notification of proposal acceptances will be sent by September 30, 2024. Authors whose papers have been accepted must be current members of ANS and must register for the annual meeting. Please contact Dr. Michel Nguessan at the above email address if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to receiving your submission!

Download a PDF copy of this call for papers here.

Call for Papers: “Names and World-building in Fantasy & Science Fictional Universes” (ANS Panel @ LSA 2025, Philadelphia, 9-12 January 2025)

Call for Papers

Names and World-building in Fantasy & Science Fictional Universes

an organized session at the 2025 annual meeting of the

Linguistic Society of America

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

9-12 January 2025

The American Name Society is now inviting proposals for an organized session at the 2025 annual meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. The theme of this session is “Names and World-building in Fantasy & Science Fictional Universes.” The organizing committee is especially interested in papers that address how names impact the creation of worlds in works of literature, music, film, and games (table-top role-playing games, board games, video games, and others). Sample topics might include, but are not limited to:

Names and their function in world-building
Naming conventions of fantasy and science fiction authors
Personal names in literary worlds: how the names of protagonists and antagonists contribute to the overall story told
Place names in created universes
Names and naming in games and gaming: whether video games, table top role-playing games, board games, or others

Abstracts in any area of onomastic research related to the fantasy or science fiction genres are welcome.

Proposals require these elements:

Name and affiliation of presenter(s)
Title of proposed paper
Up to 250-word abstract

Proposals should be submitted to the American Name Society via email at: abstracts@americannamesociety.org. For organizational purposes, place “LSA2025” in the subject of your email.

The DEADLINE for receipt of abstracts is August 15, 2024.

All proposals will be subjected to blind review. Notification of proposal acceptances will be sent by September 1, 2024. Following acceptance, authors must be current members of the ANS and register for the Linguistic Society of America annual meeting. Please contact us at the above email address if you have any questions or concerns.

Scheduling of the symposium by the LSA will be announced in October. Pre-registration for the meeting will open in late September.

We look forward to receiving your submission!

ANS Member Research: “Names, Immigration Trends and Cultural Identity: A Study Ethnic Restaurant and Grocery Store Names in Greater Chicago” by Michel Nguessan and Cari Didion

Recently presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society, collaborative work by Cari Didion and Michel Nguessan explores restaurant and grocery store names in the greater Chicago metro area. You can watch the full presentation here:

Watch this video on YouTube by clicking here.

Abstract:

The paper is an analysis of restaurant and grocery store names in Greater Chicago. In the USA, the dominant culture is the Anglo-Saxon and/or European culture. Any other culture that is different from this dominant one is considered ethnic. Restaurants and food stores that are not part of the dominant culture are considered ethnic. With the increase and diversification of immigration to the USA in recent decades, new restaurants/grocery stores emerge with distinctive names that reveal cultural identities and/or national origins. The study’s purpose is to find out about cultural/national origins and identities, immigration trends and spatial distribution of these restaurants/food stores in the Greater Chicago area.

These ethnic restaurants/grocery stores come from diverse cultural and national origins including Asia, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, pacific islands, and others. Some ethnic restaurants/grocery store names are Fogo de Chão (Brazilian), Taste of Lebanon (Lebanese), Nhà Hàng Vietnam (Vietnamese), Ay Ay Picante (Peruvian), Denden Eritrean restaurant (Eritrea). The first part of the paper discusses the relationship between immigration trends and the emergence of ethnic restaurants/grocery stores. The second part of the paper presents and discusses ethnic restaurants and grocery store names. The third part of the paper discusses the relationship between immigration trends, ethnic restaurant names and diversity of cultures and national origins in Greater Chicago. The study concludes that ethnic restaurant and grocery store names reveal immigration trends, national and cultural origins and identities and point out the cultural diversity and spatial distribution of immigrant populations in Greater Chicago.

Biography:

Professor Michel Nguessan is an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at Governors State University, in Illinois. He has academic background and research interest in linguistics/onomastics, software engineering and computer science, library and information science and port/maritime management. He graduated from universities in Côte-d’Ivoire, the USA and Canada.

Professor Cari Didion is an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at Governors State University, in Illinois. She has an academic background in science education, library and information science, and higher education leadership. She holds master’s degrees from the University of Georgia and San Jose State University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies.

Find our YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/@americannamesociety5739

Watch the rest of the 2024 Annual Meeting videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9UPV3RkICwd7ojIQwxUtxO-0tL90SDY7

Join the American Name Society:

https://www.americannamesociety.org/membership/