American Name Society

The American Name Society (ANS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad.[1] The organization investigates cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names.

American Name Society
AbbreviationANS
FormationDecember 29, 1951
Founded atDetroit, Michigan
TypeScholarly society
PurposeOnomastics
Websitehttp://www.americannamesociety.org/

The ANS runs an annual conference for name scholars and enthusiasts, and it is the largest scholarly society dedicated to "the investigation of names and how they develop".[2] Since 1952, the ANS has produced the journal Names, which publishes articles on names.[3] The American Dialect Society was the parent organization of ANS. It has also been associated with the Modern Language Association.[4]

History

In the early 1950s, members of the American Dialect Society felt that there ought to be another organization focused on the function of proper nouns. On December 29, 1951,[4] in Detroit, a group of academics voted to create the American Name Society, which would focus on onomastics and publish a quarterly journal with content written by society members. The founders appointed a Sponsoring Committee with 29 members and elected a president, Elsdon C. Smith.[5] The first meeting was held on December 27, 1952, in Boston. The ANS has had a broad scope since its inception, and attracts specialists from a variety of fields.[4]

Names

In March 1953, the ANS began publishing Names,[4] "a journal of onomastics."[6] The first volume of Names, the journal published by ANS, was published in March 1953, edited by Erwin Gudde.[4] George R. Stewart, a founding member of the ANS,[7] described his vision for using Names to define the field of onomastics.[8] Subscribers to Names receive membership to the ANS.[6]

Awards

Emerging Scholar award

The Emerging Scholar award recognizes names researchers in the early stages of their academic or professional careers. The awardee receives a cash prize and mentoring by a senior onomastics scholar who will assist the awardee in preparing his/her paper for submission and possible publication in NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics.

Best Article in Names: A Journal of Onomastics

The Best Article in Names: A Journal of Onomastics Award is given to only one article per year according to the significance of the article and its relevance to the science of onomastics. The award committee of three reviewers operates independently of the editors.[1]

Name of the Year

Since 2004, the ANS has declared a Name of the Year. Each year, the public can nominate a name by contacting the Name of the Year election coordinator with justification for the name's inclusion. ANS members can also nominate names at the annual meeting. Nominated names are judged on three criteria: linguistic innovation, potential to impact language use, and ability to capture national attention.[9] Since 2008, the ANS has voted on the top personal name, place name, trade name, and fictional name at its annual conference.[10][11]

Year Name of the Year (Overall) Fictional Personal Place Trade Notes
2017 Rohingya Nambia Maria Charlottesville Me Too Donald Trump referred to the nation "Nambia" in a September 2017 speech at the United Nations.[12]
2016 Aleppo Hamilton Aleppo Brexit [13]
2015 Caitlyn Jenner Rey, Finn, and Poe (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) Caitlyn Jenner Denali Charlie Hebdo [14]
2014 Ferguson Elsa (Disney) Malala (Yousafzai) Ferguson Uber [15]
2013 Francis Ender Wiggin Francis Syria ObamaCare
2012 Sandy Downton Abbey Malala Yousafzai Gangnam Fiscal cliff
2011 Arab Spring Lisbeth Salander Muammar Gaddafi Fukushima, Fukushima Siri
2010 Eyjafjallajökull Quinn and Finn (Glee) Lady Gaga Eyjafjallajökull Tea Party
2009 Salish Sea Max (Where the Wild Things Are (film)) Chesley Sullenberger Salish Sea Twitter
2008 Barack Hussein Obama Edward (Twilight (novel series)) Barack Hussein Obama Wasilla, Alaska Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
2007 Betrayus Nickname for Sen. Chuck Hagel and later Gen. David Petraeus.[16]
2006 Pluto
2005 Katrina
2004 Fahrenheit 9/11 [11]

The American Name Society is allied with the Modern Language Association (MLA).[17]

Sister Societies

The American Name Society is a member of a group of sister societies that meet concurrently with the Linguistic Society of America:[18]

References
  1. "About the ANS - American Name Society". 20 February 2015.
  2. "'Ferguson' Is 2014's Name of the Year". Time. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  3. Abel, Ernest Lawrence (2013-09-01). "A Note on the Names in Names". Names. 61 (3): 168–173. doi:10.1179/0027773813Z.00000000056. ISSN 0027-7738.
  4. Leonard R. N. Ashley (2002) The American Name Society: The First Fifty Years, Names, 50:1, 63-72, DOI: 10.1179/nam.2002.50.1.63
  5. Unknown (1952-06-01). "American Name Society". Indiana Magazine of History. ISSN 1942-9711.
  6. "Names: Aim and Scope". Taylor & Francis Online. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  7. "Who Was Who in Name Study". www.wtsn.binghamton.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  8. Stewart, George R. (1953). "The Field of the American Name Society". Names. 1 (2): 73–78. doi:10.1179/nam.1953.1.2.73.
  9. Nuessel, Frank (12 May 2017). "Editorial". Names. 65 (2): 63–64. doi:10.1080/00277738.2017.1316003.
  10. "Words with friends; Appalachian professor leads American Name Society » News Archive » Appalachian State University News". Archived from the original on 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  11. "Name of the Year | American Name Society". American Name Society. 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  12. Evans, Cleveland. "Evans: Rohingya is a name worth remembering". Omaha.com. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  13. "Why 'Dumpster Fire' Was 2016 Word of the Year". Live Science. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  14. "'Caitlyn Jenner' Is the 2015 Name of the Year". Time. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  15. "'Ferguson' Is 2014's Name of the Year". Time. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  16. "American Name Society: Names of the Year". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  17. "Directory of Allied Organizations". apps.mla.org. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  18. "Meeting Handbook" (PDF). Linguistic Society of America. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
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