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 2026 Annual Conference will be held ONLINE, February 21, 2026, and not in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America. [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]

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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, regional meetings, and NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics. [read more]

Recent News

American Name Society Annual Meeting 2026 Tomorrow! (Virtual, February 21, 2026)

  ANS 2026 will be held virtually tomorrow, February 21, 2026. Registration is now open here. There is a new… read more

American Name Society Annual Meeting 2026 Registration and Schedule (Via Zoom, February 21, 2026)

  The 2026 ANS Annual Conference will be held online, via Zoom, on 21 February 2026. Registration is now open… read more

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