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Call for Papers: The 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society

 

Call for Papers

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the

American Name Society

ONLINE (via Zoom)

22 February 2025

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 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.

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: Special Issue of NAMES on “Name Bias and Prejudice”

Call for Papers: Special Issue of NAMES

2024-05-12

The American Name Society (ANS) is now issuing its first call for abstracts for an upcoming Special issue of the Society’s journal, NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics.  The theme for the 2024 Special Issue is “Name Bias and Prejudice”.  From anthroponyms to commercial names, toponyms to zoonyms, proposals focusing on any name type, in any language or culture, from any time period, and utilizing any analytical method are welcome. Proposals examining name bias and prejudice in the arts (e.g., literature, music, film, etc.) are also strongly encouraged.    However, all proposals must include a clearly articulated theoretical framework, research question(s), and a preliminary reference list.  All submissions will be subjected to blind review. The following criteria will be used in the review process: innovation; writing style and organization; argumentation; potential to make a substantive contribution to onomastic research; and adherence to the NAMES Style Sheet.  Detailed instructions for the submission process are provided below.

Proposal Submission Process

  • Abstract proposals (max. 800 words, not including references) should be sent as an email attachment (PDF format) to Professor I. M. Nick (nameseditor@gmail.com);
  • Proposals must include a preliminary reference list that follows the formatting regulations of the NAMES Style Sheet;
  • Proposals must include “Bias” in the subject line of the email;
  • All proposals must include an abstract, a tentative title, the full name(s) of the author(s), the author(s) affiliation(s), and email address(s) in the accompanying email and NOT within the body of the abstract;
  • DEADLINE: Proposals must be received by 15 July 2024. Authors will be notified about the results of the blind review on or by 15 August 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 submission.

About Names: Dr. Cleveland Evans on the top Baby Names of 2023

Photo of a newborn (Photo by Kimberly Vardeman, CC-BY-2.0)

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his May 19th column, he discusses the name the top Baby Names of 2023.

Sophia, Liam and Noah cemented their baby name popularity in 2023, while a soccer star and a country singer helped their names soar.

May 10 the Social Security Administration released the United States’ top baby names of 2023.

On SSA’s lists, Liam and Olivia have been No. 1 since 2019.

SSA counts every spelling separately. I add together spellings pronounced the same, creating lists I believe show popularity more accurately.

When alternative spellings like Jaxon were added, Jackson was first on my list from 2013 through 2020. Jackson’s now swiftly declining, only ranking fourth in 2023. Liam, Noah and Oliver are the top three on both my “combined spellings” list and Social Security’s single spelling version.

Liam rose 1.8% and Noah 2.2% last year, despite the total number of births declining 2.3%.

Liam and Noah are international hits. Both rank among the top 11 in Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Quebec, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Argentina. Noah’s now No. 1 in England, Australia and New Zealand, where Liam had its heyday back in the 1990s.

After Jackson, the rest of my 2023 male top 10 were Mateo, Lucas, Elijah, Luca, James and Aiden. All were on the list in 2022, though Mateo, Lucas and Luca rose in rank.

Mateo increased 11.6%, fourth biggest percentage among the top 100. This Spanish form of Matthew is Liam and Noah’s counterpart in the Spanish-speaking world, ranking No. 1 in Chile and Argentina, and No. 2 in Mexico, Spain and Uruguay.

Thiago had the quickest rise among the top 100, soaring 28.3% from 112th to 84th. Thiago’s a Portuguese form of Santiago, “St. James” in Spanish. Much of Thiago’s popularity stems from international soccer star Thiago Alcântara, born 1991 in Italy to Brazilian parents. Like many soccer greats — including his father, Mazinho, who helped Brazil win 1994’s World Cup — Thiago is a one-name celebrity. He plays for Liverpool in England’s Premier League as well as the Spanish national team.

Another example of soccer fandom influencing baby names is that Kylian, French form of Irish saint’s name Cillian or Killian, is now the most common spelling for American newborns. Kylian Mbappé is captain of the French national team.

With Sofia and other spellings added, 19,836 Sophias arrived in 2023, 156 more than in 2022. Sophia’s been No. 1 since 2011. Traditional Spanish spelling Sofia accounted for 37% in 2022 and 38.5% in 2023.

The rest of the girls’ top 10 are Olivia, Emma, Amelia, Charlotte, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn, Camila and Eliana. Eliana nudged Ava out of the top 10. A saints’ name from a Roman family name meaning “sun,” Eliana’s also used in Israel, where it’s interpreted as Hebrew “God has answered.” Its sound fits in with other fashionable names like Isabella and Amelia.

Lainey was the fastest riser among the girls’ top 100, skyrocketing 91.4% to 55th from 140th. Lainey Wilson was the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year for 2023.

Want to learn more? Read on to learn more about the name top baby names of the year 2023!

ANS Member Research: “The Concept of ‘UL’ (son, child) in Kazakh Anthroponomy” by Zhazira Agabekova

Recently presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society, Zhazira Agabekova’s work explores the concept of “UL” (son, child), in Kazakh anthropology. You can watch the presentation here:

Watch this video on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_13QFm2AhQ

 

Abstract:

In the Kazakh language, there are many names with the root “ul” (meaning “son”, “child”), such as Ulbosyn (let it be a son), Ulzhalgas (next will be a son), Ultusyn (wishing to give birth to a son). These names are given if a family had only daughters, and with the intention that after several girls born in a family, the next child will be a boy (names that indicated the family’s expectation of having boys). This is because historically, the boy was treated as the main breadwinner of the family and the protector of the people, the continuation of the generation, and the birth of a son in the family was important. This shows that the concept of patriarchy still prevails in Kazakh culture. Beyond that lies gender inequality. Although the number of names in the “ul” (son) context has decreased somewhat, the process has not stopped. This article hypothesizes that the use of names in the context of “ul” indicates that the role of men in the Kazakh society is higher than that of women. In order to prove it, linguistic lexemes and proverbs in the culture of the people are considered as the main linguistic facts. The number of these names changes in the different regions of Kazakhstan. These differences (frequency) are based not only on the population density, but also depends on the fact of observing Kazakhs traditions. The findings of this research will help better understand the concept of “ul”, and the analysis shows the importance of studying Kazakh names with root “ul”, which refers to existing gender inequality and gender norms in Kazakh society.

Biography:

Zhazira Agabekova is Assistant Professor of Nazarbayev University, Candidate of Philological Sciences. Her scientific area is Turkic Studies, Linguistics, Onomastics, Gender studies. Currently, Zhazira is focused on gender issues in onomastics. She is a member of the Onomastic Commission under the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 

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/

About Names: Dr. Cleveland Evans on the name “Stacy”

American politician Stacey Yvonne Abrams (Photo: Public Domain)

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his June 4th column, he discusses the name “Stacy”.

Remember private eye Mike Hammer on “The New Mike Hammer” (1984-1987)? “Papa” Ken Titus on the sitcom “Titus” (2000-2002)? Ed Pegram, Woody’s former business partner in Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska” (2013)?

Stacy Keach, who played them all, was born Walter Stacy Keach Jr. 83 years ago today.

Stacy and Stacey are surnames derived from a short form of Eustace, the English form of the Latin Eustachius, combining the Greek Eustathios “well-built” and Eustachys “fruitful.”

Eustace was common in medieval England in honor of St. Eustace, a Roman general martyred after refusing to sacrifice to idols.

Stacy became an official first name when the custom of giving surnames as first names began around 1700. England’s 1851 census found 51 men with Stacy or Stacey as a first name.

The 1850 U.S. Census, first listing all free residents’ names, found 603 male Stacys and Staceys. There were 243 (40%) born in New Jersey, which then had 2.1% of the total population.

In the 17th century, Quakers in England wanted to find somewhere to practice their religion freely. In 1676, Mahlon Stacy (1638-1704), a wealthy Yorkshire Quaker, bought shares in the West Jersey settlement. He sold part to his brother Robert Stacy, who founded Burlington, New Jersey, in 1677.

In 1679, Mahlon Stacy settled on the Delaware’s east bank at what later became Trenton. Though today the fame of William Penn, granted the west bank as Pennsylvania in 1681, eclipses that of the Stacys, it’s clear in 1850 their memory was still honored in New Jersey.

As a female name, Stacy was either from Eustacia, feminine of Eustace, or Anastasia, a saint’s name from Greek “resurrection.”

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

Call for Abstracts: On Names, Naming, and Diversity in Youth Literature

Call for Abstracts

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

in Youth Literature

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:

  1. ethnoracial minorities, including those with mixed heritage
  2. The differently abled
  3. LGBTQ+
  4. communities of faith
  5. 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!

ANS Member Research: “Ludic Representation of Toponyms in Riddles” by Olga Chesnokova

Recently presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society, Olga Chesnokova’s work explores ludic representations of toponyms in riddles. You can watch the presentation here:

Watch this video on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOtPOJTzU6o

 

Abstract:

Each culture possesses riddles about toponyms. The hypothesis of this study is that riddles about cities and their names create a ludic image of toponyms, and each riddle text acts as a topographical image and a sign of collective memory, actively developing nowadays on the internet. The investigation of Spanish, Argentinian and Russian riddles about cities proves that they form a system of internal architectonics and create a ludic image in the range from the direct question “What city”: What city is located on 101 islands? (Saint-Petersburg), to diverse metaphors and personifications: En el mapa de Argentina ¿cuál es la provincia que nunca camina?’ (Salta), and complex sound symbols riddles with a fictional plot: El rey Alí /Fue con su can/A tomar té/¿a qué ciudad? (Alicante). Riddles about cities typically praise the cities; no critical or derogatory features of the ludic descriptions were found. The city image in riddles is always positive and combines real topographical features, elements of touristic discourse, cultural associations; all together creating a system of topographic images on the principles of direct questions, polysemy, homonymy, folk etymology, sound symbolism, and allusions to well-known proverbs. Descriptive riddles are typical for all studied cultures; however, a greater diversity was found for the Spanish and Argentinian cultures. Riddles based on sound symbolism are also more characteristic of the Hispanic tradition, which is obviously due to the letter-sound structure of the Spanish place names.

Biography:

Olga Chesnokova (Doctor in Romance Philology) is Full-time Spanish Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages at RUDN University and author of more than 200 publications on Hispanic Onomastics, Literary Text translation, and particularities of Spanish in Latin America.

 

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/

Call for Abstracts: International Gender and Language Association Conference 2025 (23-25 July 2025)

From Germán Canale:

View the full Call for Papers PDF located here: https://igala2025.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2nd-call-for-papers-1.pdf

Call for abstracts:

We invite abstracts for the following types of presentations:

Individual Paper Presentations

A paper presented by a sole author or by several co-authors (15 minutes + Q&A). Proposals should include:

  • The paper title
  • An abstract of the paper (max. 350 words) and three to five keywords
  • In case of a co-authored paper, only one of the authors must fill out the information required in the submission link.

Discussion Panels

A panel includes 3 to 4 papers (15 minutes + Q&A). The full panel will be submitted by only one person (the panel leader) in a sole document that must include:

  • A title and description (max. 400 words) of the panel
  • Five keywords for the full panel
  • Title of each individual abstract, each individual abstract (no more than 200 words).

The submission links (for individual papers and discussion panels) can be accessed here: https://igala2025.wordpress.com/submission/

Abstracts for both individual presentations and discussion panels will be anonymously reviewed.

Important dates:

Proposal submissions – from May 20th to July 15th 2024
Notification of acceptance – October 2024
Registration period – starts in October 2024
Conference dates – July, 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2025.

For more information about IGALA Conference 2025, please check our official website:

https://igala2025.wordpress.com/

Join the American Name Society!

If you enjoy reading about names, we encourage you to join the American Name Society and share your name news with us! Membership is very affordable, with yearly dues of $25.

Yearly dues support the mission of the American Name Society: to promote the study of onomastics. Amongst the many ways that the ANS works to achieve this goal, one very important way is by funding our open access journal Names: A Journal of Onomastics, which has been a leading peer-reviewed journal in the field of onomastics since 1952. Check out the latest issue of the journal here: https://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans.

Membership in the ANS also allows access to a community of scholars and its communications, as well as eligibility to present your research at the ANS annual conferences and the ability to submit articles to Names: A Journal of Onomastics.

Keep apprised of the latest onomastic research by joining today!

ANS Member Research: “American and Russian Nicknames of Persons” by Anna Tsepkova

Recently presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society, Anna Tsepkova’s work explores American and Russian Nicknames. You can watch the presentation here:

Watch this video on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fta5mEFLt5s

 

Abstract:

Nicknames of persons coined by means of mixing linguistic and extralinguistic motives form a unique group of unconventional anthroponyms performing identifying and characterizing functions by means of combining a person’s official name with lexemes referring to qualities, attributes, situations associated with nickname-bearers. These nicknames are formed by means of:

  • substituting a name by an appellative sounding similar (false etymology): Madison from Maddie + “always mad at something” (US); Парадокс / Paradox from Paradovsky + an irregular person (Rus);
  • substituting a last name by an appellative reviving its etymology: Blood from Trueblood + “a cool head under stressful situations” (US); Goose from Goosev + appearance (Rus);
  • blending a name with an appellative: Encyclo’pete’ia from Pete + “no matter what you talked about he thought he was an expert on it…” (US); Olgushonok from Olga + lyagushka [frog]: cold limbs (Rus);
  • inevitable associations with a famous name / person: Marco Polo from Mark + “always looking for an adventure” (US);
  • meaningful abbreviations of first, middle/patronymic, last names: M&M: “because I love M&Ms and m is the first letter in my first and last name” (US); ОМ from initials of the teacher of physics / reference to Ohm (Rus).

If small in number (46 nicknames / 5.5% in the American sample; 54 / 1.5% in the Russian sample), this group is the most diverse in terms of coinage patterns, demonstrating the phenomenon of linguistic creativity, aimed at catching and carrying multifaceted audio-visual and emotional experiences of human interaction.

Biography:

Anna Tsepkova is an Associate Professor in the English Language Department at Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University (Siberian region of Russia) and has a PhD in Philology. She is a Fulbright Alumna, a member of ICOS and the ANS. She is currently working on “A Cross-Cultural Dictionary of American and Russian Nicknames”

 

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/