About Names: Dr. Evans on the name “Clyde”

A timid orange ghost might be the most famous “Clyde” in video game history (Photo: Monsoleiiil, CC-BY-3.0)

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his August 27th column, he discusses the name “Clyde”.

‘Clyde’s” making sandwiches at Omaha Community Playhouse through Sept. 17.

In Pulitzer Prize winning author Lynn Nottage’s play, Clyde runs a sandwich shop employing ex-cons who she belittles and abuses. The 2022 Broadway production earned “This is Us” actor Ron Cephas Jones, who died Aug. 19, an Emmy nomination.

Glasgow, Scotland, sits on the River Clyde, sacred to Celtic goddess Clota. It’s unclear if the river was named after the goddess or vice versa.

Clyde’s a rare Scottish surname indicating one’s ancestors lived by the river. In the 1850 United States census, 375 persons with the last name Clyde are found. Seven had Clyde as a first name — not surprising given the then-new custom of turning surnames into given names.

The first name Clyde didn’t stay rare: 7,179 men were named Clyde in 1880, while only 832 Americans had the surname.

Various factors may have contributed. In the 1850s, poem “Clyde” by John Wilson (1720-1789) was republished. Wilson celebrated a masculine river, writing “Clyde’s wide bed ten thousand torrents fill, His rage the murmuring mountain streams augment.”

In the 1850s Philadelphia-based Thomas Clyde (1812-1885) owned the Clyde Line, America’s biggest steamship company.

Want to learn more? Read on to learn more about the name “Clyde”!

About Names: Dr. Evans on the name “Nancy”

Jazz Singer Nancy Wilson (Photo: Public Domain)

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his August 13th column, he discusses the name “Nancy”.

Nancy’s leaving the small screen next week.

“Nancy Drew,” the third television series based on the classic young adult detective novels, ends its four-year run on the CW Aug. 23.

Nancy was originally derived from Agnes. In medieval England Agnes was pronounced “Annis,” with nickname “Ancy.” In some dialects, “mine” was used for “my”. “Mine Ancy” eventually became “my Nancy.” Nell developed from Ellen and Ned from Edward the same way.

Annis was often confused with Ann. Soon Anns as well as Agneses were called Nancy. When literacy increased after 1600 and the “g” in Agnes started being pronounced, Nancy switched to just being a nickname for Ann.

By 1800, many thought of Nancy as being a separate name. That’s shown in the 1850 United States census, where despite most entries not including middle names, 2,411 women were listed as “Nancy Ann.”

Want to learn more? Read on to learn more about the name “Nancy”!

‘Food-Name Rules’: Rising Tensions Between US Producers and EU Regulators

“Greek Feta”, a public domain image by Jon Sullivan. But do we really know its provenance?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explores the tensions between US cheesemakers and the regulated cheese market in the European Union. The names of nearly 300 cheese are protected, among 3,500 food and beverage names. One US producer, Klondike, is unable to export its feta to Europe because they would have to call it “white-brined cheese, or some variation that doesn’t mention the word feta.” To be named “feta”, the cheese must be produced in Greece according to EU regulation.

Call for Book Chapter Proposals: “Names, Naming, Gender, Sex, and Sexuality” (DUE 15 August 2023)

Call for Book Chapter Proposals

LAST CALL: ONE WEEK REMAINING

Names, Naming, Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

Edited by I. M. Nick and Sharon N. Obasi

Recent years have seen a significant increase in public awareness of and sensitivity towards the diversity of individual and group identities where gender, sex, and sexuality are concerned. These developments have also been accompanied by the introduction of many new names for individuals and groups to label these developments. At the same time, in many places around the world, there has been a marked backlash against recognizing the complexity of identity where gender, sex, and sexuality-are concerned. These counter movements have also been marked by onomastic developments. The current call is for book chapters that specifically explore the interplay between names, naming, gender, sex, and sexuality. Possible subjects to be explore include, but are by no means limited to the following:

Law and regulations governing the personal names of individuals by gender, sex, and sexuality
Names for diverse individual and group identities (e.g., cis, trans, bi, LGBTQ+).
Naming customs in cultures that recognize three or more genders
National and international trends in gendered names and naming
Naming, gender and artificial intelligence bots, virtual assistants, etc.
Inferring gender based on phonology (phonoonomastics)
Researching names and gender: perspectives on compliance and integrity
Naming and gender policies in education
Names and gender in advertising and health messaging
Historical and/or cross-cultural investigations into (in)official names for gender and sex

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 “Gender2023” 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); the author(’s’) 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 submission, one person must be clearly designated as the primary contact
The DEADLINE for proposal submissions is August 15, 2023. All proposals will be submitted to a double-blind review process. Authors will be notified about acceptance on or by September 15, 2023
Final chapters (max 7,000 words, excluding abstracts and references) will be due April 15, 2024

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!

Naming Heat Waves

Residents of Hampstead taking refuge in the shade during a heat wave, Historic photo by Photographer Conrad Poirier (Public Domain)

An article in the Washington Post explores the debate surrounding the naming of heat waves, presenting evidence that reflects “a desire in Europe to start attaching names to extreme heat events — which are becoming so common that they sometimes blur together in people’s consciousness. But what naming system to use, which forecasts warrant names and who should make the calls are far from settled.”

Call for Papers: “Medieval Onomastics: Crisis or Stasis?” (Leeds, 1-4 July 2024)

From Tristan Alphey:

Onomastics, the study of names and naming, has long proved popular with medievalists. This CfP seeks to explore the interaction between onomastics and the theme of this year’s conference – Crisis. We’re looking for 20-minute papers on the role of names and naming within the medieval period, from any geographical region. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Change in naming practices (or lack thereof) as a result of periods of social/cultural/economic change. This might look at philological change, change in distribution (by gender, race, socio-economic group etc.), change in the rituals of naming.
The renaming of an individual, during their life or in their remembrance.
The interaction between time, place names and the (built) environment.
Crises within the discipline of medieval onomastics, new approaches in the study of onomastics, and the role of interdisciplinary thinking.

Please submit an abstract of no more than 200 words and a short biography including academic affiliation and contact details to the email address below. Deadline: 15th September 2023.

Organiser: Tristan Alphey, tristan.alphey@stx.ox.ac.uk

Download a PDF of the Call for Papers here.

“Taco Tuesday” Trademark Claim Abandoned

Clip art illustrating the basic contents of an American-style taco: protein, lettuce, tomato, and cheese wrapped in a crispy corn tortilla.

Taco clip art (Photo: public domain)

Though the battle with Taco Johns may be over, the war for the “Taco Tuesday” continues on in New Jersey. According to an Associated Press piece, Taco Johns has abandoned its claim to the “Taco Tuesday” trademark as rival Taco Bell challenges the smaller chain. Mead Gruver writes, “In a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Cheyenne-based Taco John’s gave up any further claim to “Taco Tuesday” in 49 states, ending a high-profile spat with Taco Bell. But the dispute looks to keep simmering on the Jersey Shore, where Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar in Somers Point promised to keep fighting Taco Bell over the exclusive right to hold “Taco Tuesday” promotions in New Jersey. “We’re hanging in there. We’re sticking by our guns,” Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar attorney Stephen Altamuro said.”

About Names: Dr. Evans on the name “Tyrone”

Stage actor Tyrone Power (Photo: Public Domain)

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his July 16th column, he discusses the name “Tyrone”.

Tyrone learns there’s more than one of him later this week.

“They Cloned Tyrone,” a science-fiction comedy spoofing 1970s “Blaxploitation” films, debuted June 14 at the American Black Film Festival. It premieres on Netflix July 21. John Boyega plays Tyrone Fontaine, a drug dealer fighting back after discovering he’s a clone created by a sinister government project.

Tyrone’s a county in Northern Ireland. It’s the English form of “Tir Eoghain (Eógan’s land),” bestowed by members of the O’Neill dynasty claiming descent from Eógan mac Néill when they conquered it in the 11th century.

In 1673, Charles II created Irish noble Richard Power (1630-1690) the 1st Earl of Tyrone. His cousins began naming sons “Tyrone,” pointing out their noble connection.

William Grattan Tyrone Power (1797-1841) was the only child of one such cousin, Tyrone Power of County Waterford. He became the actor and playwright Tyrone Power, known for bettering the image of the Irish in his roles. Power toured America four times.

Power’s great-grandson, director Tyrone Guthrie (1900-1971), founded Minneapolis’s Guthrie Theater. Power’s grandson Tyrone Power Sr. (1869-1931) moved to America as a teenager and became a star of stage and screen. It was Sr.’s Cincinnati-born son Tyrone Power (1914-1958) who became the most famous, being a major star from first film “Lloyd’s of London” (1936) to his last, “Witness for the Prosecution” (1957).

In the 19th century Tyrone was rare outside the Power family. The first American Tyrone, Tyrone Landrum, was a free Black head of household in Derry, Pennsylvania, in 1800. Four of the 12 Tyrones in the 1870 census were his descendants.

The census often designated the Landrums as “mulatto.” Many Landrums in America had immigrated from County Tyrone, which may explain the name.

Fifty-three Americans had the given name Tyrone in 1930; 714 in 1940; and 4,283 in 1950, showing its popularity was caused by movie star Power. What’s remarkable is that already in 1950, 67% of these Tyrones were Black.

Want to learn more? Read on to learn more about the name “Tyrone”!

Call for Book Chapter Proposals: “Names, Naming, Gender, Sex, and Sexuality”

Call for Book Chapter Proposals

Names, Naming, Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

Edited by I. M. Nick and Sharon N. Obasi

Law and regulations governing the personal names of individuals by gender, sex, and sexuality
Names for diverse individual and group identities (e.g., cis, trans, bi, LGBTQ+).
Naming customs in cultures that recognize three or more genders
National and international trends in gendered names and naming
Naming, gender and artificial intelligence bots, virtual assistants, etc.
Inferring gender based on phonology (phonoonomastics)
Researching names and gender: perspectives on compliance and integrity
Naming and gender policies in education
Names and gender in advertising and health messaging
Historical and/or cross-cultural investigations into (in)official names for gender and sex

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 “Gender2023” 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); the author(’s’) 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 submission, one person must be clearly designated as the primary contact
The DEADLINE for proposal submissions is August 15, 2023. All proposals will be submitted to a double-blind review process. Authors will be notified about acceptance on or by September 15, 2023
Final chapters (max 7,000 words, excluding abstracts and references) will be due April 15, 2024

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!

Call for Papers: “American Onomastics” (Onoma) — Abstracts due 15 July 2023

LAST CALL! Abstracts are due 15 July 2023!

The editorial board of Onoma, journal of the International Council of Onomastic Sciences publishing in English, German, or French, seeks contributions to a themed volume (number 59 to appear in 2024) on the study of names in America (i.e., as they are used or applied in North, Central, or South America, or as they may be studied by scholars from those regions). The subject matter is open (i.e., place names, personal names, commercial names, or names in literature). Guidelines may be found on the Onoma website: https://onomajournal.org

Please send abstracts of about 250 words to the principal guest-editor, Grant Smith (gsmith@ewu.edu), and to the co-guest-editors, Yolanda Guillermina López Franco (yolalf1@yahoo.com.mx) and Márcia Sipavicius Seide (marciaseda4@hotmail.com). Abstracts must be received by July 15, 2023, recommendations or acceptance will be sent by August 1, 2023, and final drafts must be completed by February 11, 2024.