Month: August 2026

CfP: Medieval Onomastics (International Medieval Congress)

filed under Call for Papers

Onomastics, the study of names and naming, has long proved a fruitful approach for medievalists. Following successes in 2024 – 2026, the panel on medieval onomastics is returning for 2027. We’re looking for 20-minute papers on the role of names and naming within the medieval period, from any geographical region, covering either personal names or place names.… Read More

Repost: Call for Papers: Academics on Fire: Controversies over (Re)Naming Educational Institutions (ANS Panel @ LSA 2027, San Francisco, 6-9 January 2027)

Call for Papers

Academics on Fire: Controversies over
(Re)Naming Educational Institutions

an organized session at the 2027 annual meeting of the

Linguistic Society of America

San Francisco, California

6-9 January 2027

The American Name Society is now inviting proposals for an organized session at the 2027 annual meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. Throughout the world, names have been strategically used by decision-makers to communicate important messages to members and visitors about the unique history, culture, and values of their educational institutions. From the names of buildings, campuses, memorials, and halls, academic programs, and scholarships, to social or service-based organizations such as fraternities, sororities, and honor societies, these institutional names are ubiquitous markers of everyday campus life. However, these institutional names are more than simple signposts. They are part of the academic curricula that may surreptitiously inculcate the norms of the educational institution and the surrounding social environment. It is precisely for this reason that retention or abolition of these names can become the catalyst for heated public debate. As recent years have demonstrated, controversies over the official values and political orientations of many educational sites have ignited blistering debates over long-standing institutional names. The purpose of this Session is to invite papers which specifically examine the role which naming and renaming can play in these fights over institutional identities in educational settings. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Uncovering the history institutional namesakes and discussion of the contemporary fall-out over the (dis)continued use of their names for educational institutions
  • Discussing the (dis)advantages of eponyms as institutional brand names
  • Examining strategies used by educational institutions to decide whether to retain or change controversial institutional names
  • Comparing the demographic profiles of persons or corporations whose names have and have not been chosen to label an educational institution
  • Contrasting the assortment of institutional names used by different educational bodies
  • Identifying diachronic or synchronic variation in the institutional names selected or rejected across or within various educational bodies

There are no restrictions regarding the time period, methodological approach, theoretical framework, language, country, or level of educational institution examined.  Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method investigation are all equally welcome.  However, the analysis presented must be clearly focused on names and naming.  Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) should be disclosed at the end of the proposal.

Proposals require these elements:

  • Name and affiliation of presenter(s)
  • Title of proposed paper
  • Up to 250-word abstract

Proposals should be submitted to the American Name Society via email at: abstracts@americannamesociety.org. For organizational purposes, place “LSA2027” in the subject of your email.

The DEADLINE for receipt of abstracts is August 31, 2026.

All proposals will be subjected to blind review. Notification of proposal acceptances will be sent by September 15, 2026. Following acceptance, authors must be current members of the ANS and register for the Linguistic Society of America annual meeting. Please contact us at the above email address if you have any questions or concerns.

Scheduling of the symposium by the LSA will be announced in October 2026. Pre-registration for the meeting will open in late September 2026.

We look forward to receiving your submission!

A Call for Book Chapter Proposals on Names, Crime, and the Law

One of the most fascinating areas of interdisciplinary research involving onomastics,  criminology, and the law is forensic onomastics. The current call for book chapter proposals is for an upcoming publication in the Bloomsbury book series, “Names and Naming in the Social Sciences and Humanities”.   Possible topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  • Names of crimes, criminals, victims, and/or law enforcement agencies
  • Crimes involving the illegal use of names (e.g. identity theft, trademark infringement, verbal threats involving malicious name-calling; the use of names to identify potential crime victims)
  • The names of laws and policies at any level of governance.
  • Laws and policies governing the use or alteration of names
  • Strategies for the translation or transliteration of names in forensic contexts
  • Clandestine names used by criminals to describe themselves, their products, their organizations, their activities, and/or their targets
  • The ways in which the media uses names to report on crimes or criminals
  • Official strategies and/or policies used by law enforcement to analyze, process, or store onomastic data relevant in criminal investigations
  • Legal cases fought over names (e.g., the right to use a product name; lawsuits over potentially pejorative names)
  • The ways in which names may be used during the commission of a crime (e.g., name-calling in threat communications or cases of defamation; the use of harmful names to demean or control victims; the use of names in cases of identity theft)
  • The literary use of names in (true)  crime fiction.

Proposals examining any name type are welcome.  Although all proposals must be written in English, the papers proposed may involve any language(s), spoken, written, or signed.  Both diachronic and synchronic approaches are welcome. Investigations may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.  However, the analysis proposed must be clearly on focused on the onomastic data.  Proposals will be judged upon their thematic fit as well as their  potential to make a substantive contribution to both forensic linguistics and onomastics.  All Interested authors are asked to submit their formal proposals using the following guidelines.

Proposal Submission Process

  • Abstract proposals (max. 500 words, excluding the title and references) should be sent as a word doc email attachment to the Editor-in-Chief of NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics, Professor I. M. Nick (nameseditor@gmail.com)
  • For organizational purposes, proposals must include “FORENSICS” 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 October 15, 2026. All proposals will be submitted to a double-blind review process. Authors will be notified about acceptance on or by November 15, 2026
  • Final chapters (max 7,000 words, excluding abstracts, graphics, and references) will be due March 15, 2027

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!