The Geographical Names Board of Canada (GNBC) is inviting the general public to propose new place names for Canada. The accepted toponyms will be recorded in a national register, the Canadian Names Database. There is information on the proposal guidelines and review process specifically for Nova Scotia.
In this Indian Village, People Have Unique Names Like Google, Glucose, Obama
The Hakki Pikki (a tribal community) in Southern India uses name that many westerners wouldn’t consider to be names. They name people after the objects in their world and these names have interesting stories.
Anthony Wheeler Conference on Suffolk Place-Names and Landscape, April 23, 2016
On the 23rd of April 2016, the 3rd Anthony Wheeler Conference will be held in Suffolk (UK). The topic of the conference will be Suffolk Place-Names and Landscape.
The Name of the Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries
The political battles being fought in the Middle East pervade every aspect of daily life, including the names used for the topography. An excellent example of this onomastic pull-and-tug can be seen in the discussion over whether to use the name “The Persian Gulf” or “The Arabian Gulf”. Read both sides of the story in this New York Times piece.… Read More
Children’s Literature Association Conference, Columbus, Ohio, June 9-11, 2016
The Children’s Literature Association will be holding a conference from the 9th to the 11th of June 2016 in the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio. Onomastic researchers with a special interest in children’s literature are invited to register.
How Fashion Labels Shape Baby-Naming Trends
Fashion labels are increasingly inspiring baby names. Labels such as Armani and Cartier are on the rise as baby names and more traditional names such as Calvin have been recently boosted by a corresponding fashion label. This article in Vocative graphs the rise of particular fashion labels are baby names.
New streets named with synonyms for greed and deceit
In the wake of a new project by a property developer in Staten Island, NY, Borough President James Oddo named the streets in the new development after the greed and deceit of the developers. A New York State Supreme Court judge allowed the street names.
High school seniors named Nguyen nailed their yearbook quote
Tired of uninformed Americans asking them the same question for four years, these high school seniors with the surname Nguyen left with a parting yearbook message.… Read More
Onomastic Neologisms: Hybrid Foods with Hybrid Names
Ever heard the name burrissimo? What about the names taka taka, sushirrito, or pizzabon? If you guessed that these names have something to do with food, you may be right.
After the success of culinary creations like the infamous cronut, the name for an artery-clogging cross between a donut and a croissant, restaurant chains have started experimenting with other fast-food hybrids. In celebration of these mutant edibles, a whole new line-up of food names has been created as well. Discover what is behind these onomastic neologisms.
Usernames of video gamers reveal their personalities
How much does your gamer name reveal about you? Probably more than you think.
In a psychological study funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research council, a clear connection was found between user names and gaming behavior. For example, gamers whose user names incorporated some form of profanity often displayed anti-social behavior in the game environment.… Read More