Names have linguistic structure. For more about the syntax of university names, see this article, published by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
About Names
Name that Thing by Merriam Webster
Want to test your knowledge of names?
Try Name that Thing by the world-famous English Dictionary, Merriam Webster.
Name-lovers can test the breadth and depth of their onomastic prowess in the timed10-question challenge.
About Names: Shelley goes from surname to starlet
Shelley Winters
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column explores Shelley.
Ring Names: Onomastics and Boxing
Bonecrusher. The Motor City Cobra. Boom Boom. The Golden Boy. Smoking Joe.
If these names sound familiar to you, then chances are you have spent at least some time in or around one of the world’s most controversial professional sports: Boxing.
Whether you love it or hate it, boxing is one of the most prolific arenas in the sporting world for the genesis of creative personal names.… Read More
There’s a NICE name for it in Sweden
About twenty years ago, Anna Kosztovics, a Swedish social worker and ardent feminist, found herself pregnant and irritated. In a recent interview with The Guardian, she revealed thinking “if this is a girl, I have to have a word for her genitals.” According to Kosztovics, the names that Swedes typically used were either too negative, too medical, or far too adult. Confronted with this onomastic dilemma, Kosztovics decided to search for a girl-friendly name herself. After polling her girlfriends about what names they used, she happened upon one she really liked: snippa. Not satisfied with keeping her discovery to herself, the social worker began to energetically promote the adoption of the name amongst nurses. The name was a hit. In 2006, it was officially added to the Swedish language and is now an entry in the Svenska Akademiens Ordlista.
For more on the evolution of the name snippa, click here.
About Names: Louis, Louis, Louis
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column explores Louis.… Read More
Silicon Valley’s Naming Problem and How to Fight it
Today’s new startups rely heavily on their name choice and their domain name. Click here for an article about modern trends in brand naming and how to avoid common pitfalls.… Read More
‘Growing Up With My Name’ Hashtag Reveals Subtle and Surprising Racism
Follow the twitter hashtag #GrowingUpWithMyName to read about society’s perception of names and to add your own experiences to the conversation. Click here for more information.… Read More
About Names: Will Quentin soar in 2015?
Nat Wolff plays Quentin in Paper Towns
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column explores Quentin.
About Names: Why we name storms
The tradition of giving storms names rather than numbers began in an effort to make climatic identification easier for the media to report to the general public. As experience has shown, personal names for weather events are an effective means of sparking public interest in messages for emergency preparedness.
Initially the names selected for storms were arbitrarily selected; today they come from pre-determined lists of personal names with a high degree of regional recognizability. This means that each region uses a different list of storm names.
For example, storms cycling over Australia may be named: Anika, Billy, Charlotte, and Danny. Severe weather systems hitting the South West Indian Ocean may be named Alenga, Benilde, Chanda, and Dando.
Click here for a complete list of official storm names used by the World Meteorological Organization.