Another Name of the Year

2843927993_072554168f_mAt the 2016 Annual Conference of the American Name Society, Caitlyn Jenner was selected as the official 2015 Name of the Year. The ANS decision is made by a team of names specialists who deliberate over the cultural, linguistic, and historical significance of the onomastic nominees,

However, the ANS is not the only organization that bestows this onomastic title. The www.nameoftheyear.com organizers announced that “Amanda Miranda Panda” won a whopping 60.75% of internet users votes, as compared to its top contender “Infinite Grover”. This winner is crowned by popular vote from site visitors.

International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology (ICHLL), Bloomington, IN, July 12-15, 2016

5281453002_ab257fec82_mFrom the 12th to the 15th of July 2016, the International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology (ICHLL) will take place in Bloomington, Indiana. The deadline for 500 word English-language abstracts is February 1, 2016.

In particular, the conference welcomes papers addressing problems associated with dates and dating and periods and periodization. In addition, the conference solicits abstracts that concern how chronology is re-conceived in the era of digitally-driven lexical research.

There are four plenaries planned for this event:

  • Fred R. Shapiro (Yale University, dates and dating)
  • Anne Curzan (University of Michigan, periods and periodizing)
  • Mira Podhajecka (University of Opole, theories of history)
  • Sarah Ogilvie (Stanford University, digital chronologies)

Top Wacky Dog Names of 2015

20318583178_ae91aebc82_mFollowing the top wacky cat names for 2015, here are some of the Nationwide Pet Insurance’s eclectic onomastic winners for the canine members of the family.

In first place is “Baron von Furrypants”. Taking second, third, and fourth place are “Artoo Dogtoo”, “Rosie Picklebottom” and “Parker the Barker”. Finally, the fifth prize was awarded to “Abigail Carmichael Spartacus”.

Read the entire onomastic list.

A fish called Tim Winton: scientists name new species after novelist

4915006032_03aedbb6f2_mAustralian author Tim Winton has received several national and international awards for his literary scholarship. Along with being shortlisted for the coveted Man Booker Prize, he has received the prestigious Miles Franklin Award and the Centenary Medal for service to the literature.

At the start of 2016, Mr. Winton was able to add another rather unusual accolade to his long-list of accomplishments: a newly identified species of fish will now carry the Western Australian writer’s personal name. According to the Guardian, wildlife specialists involved in the onomastic project selected Winton for this honorific to recognize his continuing efforts to protect aquatic flora and fauna Down Under.

Submit Name News to the ANS

If you see an interesting news story about names, the ANS wants to know so that we can publicize it.

Submit your new item through the ANS New Submission Form. The link to the form is located in the upper right-hand corner of the news page:

 

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Nationwide publishes Wacky Pet Names of 2015

14235056501_d30e040c10_mLooking for a name for your new feline family member? How about “Sir Nigel Meowmittens of Oscelot Court”, “Sophistikitty”, or “Cornelius McPudness Vandercat”? All of these fanciful feline names are taken from the list of real-life monikers featured on Nationwide’s year-end list of Wacky Pet Names.

Ruling Could Help Washington Redskins in Trademark Case

14135683605_a5650500d5_mJust days before the Winter Holidays, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. declared that the first Amendment “forbids government regulators to deny registration [of trademark ] because they find the speech is likely to offend others”. This ruling came in response to a petition by an Asian-American rock band that had previously tried, unsuccessfully, to register the name “The Slants”.

For many Washingtonians who have been following the debate over the city’s controversial name of the local football team, this recent ruling has sent off a tidal wave of emotions, ranging from relief to rage. On the 9th of January 2016, the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Jacqueline Pata, spoke to the American Name Society on the use of racist and derogatory names by US American sports franchises.

ANS member Laura Heymann, from William & Mary Law School, mentioned this specific ruling in her talk “Naming and Reclaiming”, which she presented at the ANS annual meeting on the 10th of January 2016. She also covers it in a guest post on the Technology & Marketing Law Blog.

Petition to Rename Donald J. Trump State Park

15166576910_7a3d4f1945_mRepublican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has made a quite a name for himself this year. His commentary has offended, injured, shocked, and insulted many groups. In a letter written to the governor, New York State Senator Daniel Squadron is reported to have stated that given the candidate’s behavior, the Donald J. Trump State Park, should be officially renamed. Squadron is not alone in his opinion. Right before the Winter Holidays, a petition started by Brooklyn resident Andrew Cheung had garnered thousands of supporters.