on·o·mas·tics (ŏn′ə-măs′ tĭks) singular noun [French onomastique, from Greek onomastikos, to name, from onoma, name]: the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names.
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Conference Information

The ANS 2020 Annual Conference will be held in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America from January 2nd-5th, 2020 in New Orleans, LA.  [read more]

About the ANS

The American Name Society was founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad. It is a non-profit organization that seeks to find out what really is in a name, and to investigate cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names. [read more]

Become a Member

Focusing on the understanding of names in all forms, the Society provides members with several vehicles for the discussion and publication of onomastic theory, views and concepts: our annual meeting in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America, regional meetings, and a subscription to NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics. [read more]

Recent News

Registration opens for the 2020 ANS Conference, New Orleans, LA, January 2-5, 2020

Registration is now open for the 2020 ANS Conference in New Orleans, LA. The ANS conference will take place in… read more

2020 Slate of Nominees for ANS Officers

American Name Society

The American Name Society is pleased to announce the 2020 Slate of Nominees for open ANS Officer positions. During the… read more

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