In a Korean Starbucks, the baristas’ nametags nearly all bear, in bold, chalky, Roman capital letters, names like SALLY or RYAN or ANGIE. It turns out to have come down from corporate: “Starbucks staff are required to have nicknames,” writes the Korea Times‘ Kim Young-jin. “The reason, company officials say, is to create a culture in which all ‘partners’ are equal.”

In this Korea Blog post by Colin Marshall at the LA Review of Books, he looks at the phenomenon of Koreans using “English” names in Seoul – who does it? And why? And what makes a name “English”?

The top baby names of and pop culture rank among the most popular sources for dog names, according to Rover.com’s fifth annual report of the year’s most popular dog names.

Rover’s data revealed that now more than ever, Americans turn to popular culture for dog name inspiration. In 2017, 8 percent of all dog names were clearly pop culture-influenced. From “Stranger Things” to “Star Wars,” pet owners are naming their dogs after their favorite icons. Also, for the third year in a row, the top baby names of the year are among the most popular dog names. The humanization of dogs has been trending upward every year, with human-inspired names making up a whopping 44 percent of all dog names in 2017—up 57 percent from 2016.

Click through to this article at Pet Products News to find out the most popular dog names!

One of the top brands of sanitary napkins in India is “Whisper”, a name that comes from the shame and secrecy associated with buying such a product. Owned by Procter & Gamble, the sanitary napkin is called “Always” in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Africa. In India and other Asian countries, however, the brand is called “Whisper”.

Now, a petition on Change.org started by Shreya Gupta of Bengaluru is asking Whisper to change its name. In a video that goes with the petition, two young women talk about the power of a name and how ‘Whisper’ contributes to creating a negative idea about menstruation. The women say that despite all of Whisper’s efforts to break the taboo around menstruation through their progressive advertising, the brand name sends out a subliminal message – that you have to be secretive about your period and whisper about it.

Read this article at The News Minute to find out more about the petition and to watch the video!

Do you know where the surnames Wright, Fletcher, Cooper, and Smith come from? They all started as the names of occupations! Many surnames come from a person’s job, although you won’t find many coopers (someone who makes or repairs wooden casks or tubs) around these days. Check out this article at Merriam-Webster that explains the origins of these names and more – including, of course, Webster!

Star map painting by Senior Wardaman Elder Bill Yidumduma Harney, featuring the Milky Way, the Moon, and ancestor spirits.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has recognized 86 new star names from Chinese, Coptic, Hindu, Mayan, Polynesian, South African and Aboriginal Australian cultures. This represents a significant step forward by the IAU in recognizing the importance of traditional language and Indigenous starlore. Among the 86 new star names are four stars with Australian Aboriginal names—Larawag, Wurren, Ginan and Unurgunite. Aboriginal Australian cultures stretch back at least 65,000 years, representing the most ancient star names on the list.

The names include three from the Wardaman people of the Northern Territory and one from the Boorong people of western Victoria. The Wardaman star names are Larawag, Wurren and Ginan in the Western constellations Scorpius, Phoenix and Crux (the Southern Cross). The Boorong star name is Unurgunite in Canis Majoris (the Great Dog).

Want to learn more? Click through to this informative article at The Conversation.

Almost 50 company names were rejected in the UK in 2017 because they were deemed potentially offensive by Companies House, the United Kingdom’s registrar of companies and is an executive agency and trading fund of Her Majesty’s Government. The list of proposed company names rejected  included Blue Arsed Fly Designs Ltd, Fanny’s Kebabs Ltd, Titanic Holdings Limited, and Wags to Bitches Limited. Some of the names may have been added later if justification was accepted. A Companies House spokesperson said it was important the register was not abused by recording offensive names.

There are more than 100 sensitive words and expressions that require the prior approval of the secretary of state to use in a company or business name. These words include benevolent, Britain/British, commission, inspectorate, licensing, standards and Windsor.

Want to know more? Click through to this article at BBC News!