Accent marks are missing in place names all over the Bay Area. Many neighborhoods and streets are named after Spanish explorers. Some of those names once had accent marks. But now, without them, we don’t know if we’re saying them right. In this news story at KALW, you can listen to the different ways residents pronounce the name of their neighborhood in San Francisco.
And find out about the history of San Francisco’s Portola district. Don Gaspar de Portola was a Spanish explorer. Historians believe he discovered the San Francisco Bay in the 1700s. He was also the first Governor of Spanish-ruled California, before it was a state. After the miners struck gold and San Francisco rapidly grew, most people living here didn’t know about Portola. And those that did, forgot about him. How did a neighborhood end up named after him?
The Social Security Administration has recently released its annual list of the United States’ most popular baby names and one thing is clear: American parents love vowels. Continuing an on-and-off reign that began in 2008, “Emma” took the top slot for newborn girls’ names. “Liam” became the most popular name for boys for the first time ever. Both, notably, have a 1:1 ratio of consonants to vowels.
Have you wondered how professional namers create those million dollar brand names? How those names are created, vetted, and selected? 
On April 25, China sent a letter to 36 foreign airlines pressuring them to remove references to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as countries on their websites and marketing materials. Air Canada and Malaysia Airlines have altered references to Taiwan on their websites, indicating China’s claim over the self-ruled island; at Malaysia Arlines, where the country used to list “Taiwan,” it’s been changed to “Taiwan-China.” Air Canada’s booking page previously listed Taipei’s airport as being in “TW,” the abbreviation for Taiwan, but just recently all mention of Taiwan as the country had been replaced by “CN,” the abbreviation of China, with no mention of Taiwan.
It used to be the rule that children would take on their paternal surname – but no more. A range of options are on the rise, whether that be for children of heterosexual or same-sex couples.
The UK is known for having a rich and diverse history attracting Roman, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon settlers. And with them, the settles brought unique meanings to Britain’s beloved counties, cities and towns. 
Fewer Americans are naming their babies Alexa since the first release of the Amazon Echo in 2015, according to Social Security data. The government keeps track of the popularity of all baby names in the U.S., and their data shows that the girls’ name Alexa peaked in popularity in 2015, right before the introduction of Amazon’s now famous AI personal assistant, which is most commonly activated by the wake word, “Alexa.” 
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. 