Efforts are now underway to give place names to Ceres, “the Dwarf Planet”. According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), Ceres’ nooks and crannies will be named after agricultural deities. According to Emily Lakdawalla of the Planetary Society, a topographic map of Ceres’ surface is being divided into quadrants. Each of these “quads” is then systematically bestowed an official toponym, many of which have borrowed from Roman mythology.
Names at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Conference, Jerusalem, July 6-10 2015
The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) will be holding its 35th annual conference from the 6th to the 10th of July 2015, in Jerusalem.
Talks on Jewish Naming include:
- “Jewish Names, Red Herrings, and Name Changes” by Philip Trauring
- “Jewish Surnames from North Africa” by Dr. Alexander Beider
Click here for more information.
Second Call for Papers: International Symposium on Place Names, South Africa, Sept 16-17 2015
The second official call for papers for the 2015 International Symposium on Place Names has been released. The Conference will take place in Clarens, Free State Province, South Africa from the 16th to the 17th of September 2015. The theme of this year’s conference is “Place names, diversity, and heritage”. Click here for more information.
Charlotte the Japanese Macaque Monkey
On May 6, 2015, a zoo in Oita, Japan announced the results of an official poll: The zoo’s very first baby Macaque monkey, would be named Charlotte, in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. News of the decision erupted in a national controversy with critics and supporters fighting over whether the name insulted or honored the newborn Royal. On May 8th, the city mayor put an end to the debate, stating that the public had chosen a beautiful name, and no complaint from Britain had been lodged.
Jackson, Sophia still top baby names list
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column offers additional information about the most popular baby names of 2014.
Paper Proposals due July 1st for the American Name Society Annual Meeting
Have you been studying names this year? Submit your paper for presentation at the annual meeting, January 7-10th, 2016 in Washington, D.C. The deadline for submissions is July 1st. Click here for more information.… Read More
Updated: Books Reviewed in Names: A Journal of Onomastics
New Domain Names Coming Soon
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is planning to increase the current selection of domain names beyond the generic top-level domains like .com, .net, and .org. In anticipation, many companies have already begun to apply for their own brand name domains. The costs of placing an official application and paying for the accompanying legal and consulting fees for one of the trendy domain names can reach upwards of 1 million US dollars.
NamesCon, Las Vegas, January 10-13 2016
NamesCon, one of the world’s largest international conferences devoted exclusively to domain names will be holding its next conference in Las Vegas, Nevada from the 10th to the 13th of January 2016. According to the founder and CEO, this year’s event promises to be the largest ever gathering of domainers. Click here for more information.
Asian Association of Lexicography Conference, Hong Kong, June 25-27 2015
The Asian Association of Lexicography (ASIALEX) will be holding its 9th annual international conference in Hong Kong, from the 25th to the 27th of June, 2015. The theme of the conference is “Words, Dictionaries and Corpora: Innovation in reference science.” Click here for more information.