The Scottish Place-Name Society is now accepting submissions for the annual Nicolaisen Essay Prize in honor of the late names scholar, Professor Bill Nicolaisen. Interested applicants are invited to submit an original work (ca. 5,000 words) on any topic of onomastics. The deadline for receipt is the 31st of December 2017. The winner will be invited to present a paper at a conference at the Scottish Place-Name Society. Submissions should be sent to the Society’s Convener, Professor Carole Hough: carole.hough@glasgow.ac.uk
Property prices lower on streets with silly names in Australia
House prices on streets with silly names are significantly lower than houses on nearby streets, a study by Victorian school students has found. High school girls at Sacred Heart College (SHC) in Geelong, a city in Melbourne, Australia, conducted the research with guidance from the school’s head of science, Adam Cole.
The students identified 27 streets in Victoria with silly names, including Butt Street, Wanke Road and Fanny Street. (American readers: “fanny” has a different meaning in the UK and Australia/NZ than it does in the US!) They found that property prices in streets with silly names were about 20 per cent lower than properties in the normally-named roads. As the report notes, that amounts to a $140,000 saving on a median-priced Melbourne house.
Read this article at ABC News to find out more – and if Australians would take advantage of the savings!
The most popular girls’ names in Tudor England
The “Darnley Portrait” of Elizabeth I (c. 1575)
What were the most popular names for girls in England during the 16th century? This was one of the questions examined by Scott Smith-Bannister in his book Names and Naming Patterns in England 1538-1700.
A large section of Smith-Bannister’s research was to follow the records of baptisms found in 40 parish registers spread throughout England. By following their records from 1538 to 1700, the author was able to get a sample of 122,710 names. Here is a sample from his lists:
Years: 1538-49
1. Joan
2. Elizabeth
3. Agnes
4. Alice
5. Anne
6. Margaret
7. Mary
8. Jane
9. Margery
10. Edith
Click through to this post at Medievelists.net to see the rest of the results!
2018 Slate of Nominees for ANS Officers
The American Name Society is pleased to announce the 2018 Slate of Nominees for open ANS Officer positions. During the ANS annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah in January 2018, the Slate of Nominees will be formally presented to the ANS membership for the election process. The final report of the nominating committee can be downloaded here.… Read More
WIll Olivia Garton get free breadsticks?
Justin Garton/Twitter
One Olive Garden–loving couple has decided to give their new daughter a name bearing a striking resemblance to the restaurant, both confusing and delighting the Internet at the same time: Olivia Garton.
Both Jordan and Justin grew up eating at Olive Garden, but it wasn’t until shortly after their wedding in 2015 that their enthusiasm turned into outright love. After purchasing a $100 never-ending pasta pass, the Arkansas couple ate their fill at Olive Garden every day for weeks. “We committed to eating there every day for six or seven weeks to get our money’s worth,” Justin told ABC News. “It saved us several hundred dollars when we really needed it.”
They decided to go with Olivia instead, claiming that they “immediately” felt like it was perfect for their little girl. “We were able to make the joke, but a little more subtle, and it’s still a pretty name,” said Justin. “It was definitely an easy decision.”
Click through to this article at CafeMom to see how the internet reacted!
Preliminary Schedule for the 2018 ANS Conference in Salt Lake City, UT
The American Name Society is excited to share the 2018 Conference Schedule for the upcoming annual conference in Salt Lake City, UT, from January 4-7, 2018.
For more information about the conference and registration materials, please visit the conferences page.
Please note this schedule is preliminary and may be subject to minor changes.
About Names: Walter weathers name’s ebbs, flows
Walt and Lillian Disney departing from Kastrup Airport CPH, Copenhagen 1959
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his December 5th column, he looks at the history of the name Walter.
Walt Disney (1901-1966) was born Walter Elias Disney 116 years ago. After creating Mickey in 1928, he made “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), the first successful animated feature. He won 22 Academy Awards, the most by one person, and created the theme parks Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
The name Walter comes from an ancient Germanic name combining “wald” (ruler) with “hari” (army). The form Walter was brought to England by Norman conquerors in 1066. Around 1380, Walter ranked eighth for English men. It was especially common in Devonshire. There, Walter of Cowick, a 12th century monk who had visions of purgatory and wore bearskins, was revered as a saint. Back then, Walter was pronounced “Water,” and its nickname was Wat. Family names Walters, Watt, Watts, Watkins, Waters and Waterson show descent from Walter. After 1600, as literacy increased, people started pronouncing the “l.”
With such a long stretch of popularity, there are scores of famous Walters besides Disney. Poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892) and basketball star Walt Frazier (1945) are two known by the nickname.
Want to know more? Read on to find out more about Walters in history!
Join the ANS
If you enjoy reading about names, we encourage you to join the ANS and share your name news with us!… Read More
In Memoriam: Sheila Barry, children’s literature publisher
The award-winning publisher of Groundwood Books, Sheila Barry, died on November 15 at Mt. Sinai Hospital due to complications from cancer. An advocate for children’s literature that championed the rights of children and adolescents, the Newfoundland native was the publisher of Canadian children’s literature was a trailblazer in the industry. Among the many critically-acclaimed works she helped to bring to the market over the course of her impressive career was the New York Times’ 2017 pick for Best Illustrated Children’s Book: Town is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smith. Barry’s passion, positivity, and light will be sorely missed but never forgotten.
Debate over changing the name of South Africa
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, inadvertently started an onomastic earthquake this year when he suggested that South Africa’s name be official changed to Azania. According to the Minister, the toponymic makeover would be a fitting reflection of the significant cultural and political changes the country has undergone since the ending of Apartheid. While some have applauded the suggestion, others have criticized that the geographic rebranding is not only unnecessary but would be prohibitively expensive. More details about the onomastic debate can be found in this article at the Independent Online.