Many Australians with ethnically marked names choose “coffee names” to tell the barista. It can simply be easier to choose a recognizable Anglo-Saxon name when ordering coffee. This phenomenon certainly isn’t unique to Australia.

For years now, Australian fishermen have battled against an elusive shimmering blue fish that was, according to sea lore and the UK Guardian, a real “bastard”. This year, Queensland scientist, Jeff Johnson, made that onomastic epithet official. From here on out, the fish’s official Latin name is Plectorhinchus caeruleonthus where “caeruleo” means “blue” and “nothus” bastard. As Johnson explained, the species earned its nasty reputation for its unusual pugilistic prowess. When adult males happen upon one another, they immediate lock jaws and reportedly “go at it hammer and tongs”.

The University of Iowa may be the next US institution to undergo an onomastic face lift to distance itself from the terrorist acronym, ISIS. According to an interview by the local news station KWWL, the sudden prominence of ISIS has cast an upsetting shadow over the name of one of the school’s web programs, the Iowa Student Information System. Although many students have found the onomastic coincidence unimportant to humorous, University officials have explained that the overlap has made some users reticent to use the service, for fear of calling unwanted attention to themselves for googling such a fraught moniker. To avoid this and other problems, UoI administrators officially announced that their ‘ISIS’ will be re-named.

Following the top wacky cat names for 2015, here are some of the Nationwide Pet Insurance’s eclectic onomastic winners for the canine members of the family.

In first place is “Baron von Furrypants”. Taking second, third, and fourth place are “Artoo Dogtoo”, “Rosie Picklebottom” and “Parker the Barker”. Finally, the fifth prize was awarded to “Abigail Carmichael Spartacus”.

Read the entire onomastic list.

Australian author Tim Winton has received several national and international awards for his literary scholarship. Along with being shortlisted for the coveted Man Booker Prize, he has received the prestigious Miles Franklin Award and the Centenary Medal for service to the literature.

At the start of 2016, Mr. Winton was able to add another rather unusual accolade to his long-list of accomplishments: a newly identified species of fish will now carry the Western Australian writer’s personal name. According to the Guardian, wildlife specialists involved in the onomastic project selected Winton for this honorific to recognize his continuing efforts to protect aquatic flora and fauna Down Under.

Yosemite is changing the names of iconic and historic places. Read more about the trademark dispute that led to these changes.

In memory of David Bowie, a fan (presumably) altered an Austin street sign, changing it from Bowie Street to David Bowie Street. Although unsanctioned, officials have agreed to leave the sign for now. There is a change.org petition to make this change permanent.

Looking for a name for your new feline family member? How about “Sir Nigel Meowmittens of Oscelot Court”, “Sophistikitty”, or “Cornelius McPudness Vandercat”? All of these fanciful feline names are taken from the list of real-life monikers featured on Nationwide’s year-end list of Wacky Pet Names.