Names That Reveal, Names That Conceal: Literary Onomastics at MLA 2027

AI-generated image for illustrative purposes only.
Not an official poster.

 How much can a name really tell us? And just as importantly: how much can it hide?

These questions lie at the heart of an exciting new Call for Papers announced by the American Name Society for a thematic panel at the Modern Language Association Convention in January 2027. Titled “Names That Reveal; Names That Conceal: Onomastic Sleight of Hand in Global Literature,” the panel invites scholars to explore how names function as instruments of revelation, deception, misdirection, and symbolic play across literary traditions, genres, and media.

The panel will take place during the MLA Convention (#mla27), held 7–10 January 2027 in Los Angeles, California, and will be conducted in a virtual format, ensuring broad international participation.

When Names Become Narrative Strategy

From espionage novels and political allegories to drama, poetry, film, and song lyrics, names are rarely neutral. Authors routinely deploy anthroponyms, charactonyms, toponyms, theonyms, and institutional names to encode meaning, disguise intent, signal irony, or manipulate reader expectations. A seemingly transparent name may conceal a character’s true allegiance; a fabricated place name may echo real-world power structures; a symbolic name may operate as satire, caricature, or ideological critique.

This ANS panel focuses precisely on this onomastic sleight of hand—the deliberate tension between what names appear to disclose and what they strategically obscure. Contributors are encouraged to ask not only how names work in literary texts, but why authors choose particular naming strategies, and what cultural, political, or aesthetic work those names perform.

Submissions may address texts from any historical period, any geographical or linguistic tradition, and any medium, including literature, theater, film, television, digital narratives, or popular culture. Both real-world and fictional naming systems are welcome, as are comparative and theoretical approaches.

A Strong Onomastic Foundation

The call points to a rich scholarly framework in literary and rhetorical onomastics. Useful reference points include the long-standing research tradition represented in NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics, as well as major collective works such as Dorothy Dodge Robbins’ Literary Onomastics, Star Medzerian Vanguri’s Rhetorics of Names and Naming, and the Oxford Handbook of Names and Naming. Together, these works demonstrate how names operate at the intersection of linguistics, literary studies, cultural analysis, and semiotics - exactly the interdisciplinary space this panel aims to cultivate.

Submission Guidelines and Key Dates

Scholars wishing to participate should submit proposals by Monday, 16 March 2026 (11:59 pm EST). Submissions will undergo blind peer review, with notifications sent on or before 27 March 2026.

Proposals should be submitted by email to Dr. Anne W. Anderson, following these instructions:

• Email subject line: “MLA 2027 proposal”

• Email body: Include the proposal title and first line of the abstract, full name(s) of the author(s), institutional affiliation(s), and email address(es)

• Attachment: A PDF containing the proposal title, an abstract of 350–500 words, and a list of works cited
  (Do not include any author-identifying information in the PDF.)

Please note that scholars whose proposals are accepted must be members of both the MLA and the American Name Society in order to present. Memberships must be in place by 7 April 2026.

Why This Panel Matters

At a time when questions of identity, secrecy, power, and representation dominate both literature and public discourse, the study of names offers a uniquely precise analytical lens. This panel highlights how onomastics contributes not only to literary interpretation, but also to broader conversations about ideology, narrative control, and cultural memory.

For scholars working in literary onomastics, stylistics, narratology, cultural studies, or name theory more broadly, this ANS panel at MLA 2027 offers an excellent opportunity to bring name-focused research into dialogue with the wider humanities community.

Researchers interested in how names reveal and conceal meaning are warmly encouraged to submit proposals and take part in what promises to be a stimulating and wide-ranging scholarly exchange.

For questions regarding submissions, contributors may contact Dr. Anne W. Anderson directly.

Talk "The History of North Wales through its Place Names"

Exploring through Place Names

 Sheldons Cafe Bar, Colwyn Bay, LL29 8LG

 Monday 19th January 2026 7:00PM

You may have seen Tirlun sharing videos about the meaning of Welsh place names. You might be curious about the meaning of place names. Whichever it is, come and listen to Joe Roberts aka Tirlun tell us all about his explorations and what he's discovered.

Event Details: Doors Open at 6:30PM; Starts at 7:00PM

Location: Sheldons Cafe Bar, Colwyn Bay, LL29 8LG 

LINK

Programme de la 1ère journée d'étude "DON (Divine Onomastic News)"

Divine Onomastic News

J'ai le plaisir de vous communiquer le programme de la première journée d'étude "DON (Divine Onomastic News)" qui vise à partager les nouveautés en matière d’onomastique divine, principalement dans les aires grecques et sémitiques. L'atelier se tiendra en ligne lundi 19 janvier de 9h30 à 16h30 :

9.30 – 9.45 : Corinne BONNET (SNS, Pisa) – Sylvain LEBRETON (UT2J, Toulouse), Introduction

9.45 – 10.15 : Florian SOMMER (University of Zurich), Linguistic perspectives on Ancient Greek Theonyms

10.15 – 10.45 : Giulia NAFISSI (SNS, Pisa), Temenites, Temenouros and Temenouchos

10.45 – 11.15 : Pause

11.15 – 11.45 : Miriam BIANCO (Sapienza, Università di Roma), Retour à Phrangissa

11h45 – 12h15 : Alessandro BUCCHERI (EPHE, PSL / ANHIMA, Paris), The Botanical Names of Ancient Greek Gods: introducing the ERC-StG-2025 POLYBOTA project

14h – 14h30 : Thomas GALOPPIN (UT2J, PLH-ARTEMIS), Noms d’Hécate ! Autour d’une malédiction corinthienne de l’Antiquité tardive

14h30 – 15h : Enrique NIETO IZQUIERDO (ANHIMA, Paris / HiSoMA, Lyon / Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington), Deux séquences onomastiques à la recherche d’une réinterprétation : les cas d’Ennodia Wastika à Larissa et d’Héraclès Halios à Délos

15h – 15h30 : Pause

15h30 – 16h : Zachary HAINES (University of Viriginia), The Name of Zeus Between Theologies in Archaic and Classical Greece

16h – 16h30 : Corinne BONNET, Sylvain LEBRETON, Giuseppina Marano (SNS Pise & UT2J Toulouse), DCART, a digital Atlas of divine names in the ancient Mediterranean

Vous pourrez vous connecter librement au moyen du lien suivant : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85697428284?pwd=MabgiOgLQjbWZbSAyY7zhkjVSR7pux.1

Contact: corinne.bonnet@sns.it / sylvain.lebreton@univ-tlse2.fr

Deadline Extended: GfN Annual Conference 2026

 The deadline for abstract submissions to the Annual Conference of the German Society for Name Studies (GfN)

“Onomastics in the Digital Age” (28–30 September 2026, University of Bremen)

has been extended.

🗓️ New deadline: 23 January 2026

The conference aims to reassess the position of onomastics in contemporary research, with a strong focus on digitality: digital research methods, databases, platforms, visualization techniques, and naming practices in digital environments. Contributions from all areas of onomastics are welcome, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives from fields such as Digital Humanities, computer science, history, and geography.

The programme will include:

• Oral papers (20 minutes + 10 minutes discussion)

• Poster presentations, especially encouraging early-career researchers

Abstracts (max. 300 words including references) should be submitted by 23 January 2026 to
📧 onodig26@uni-bremen.de

Fristverlängerung: CfP GfN-Jahrestagung 2026 in Bremen

Die Einreichungsfrist für Abstracts zur Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Namenforschung e.V. (GfN)
„Onomastik im digitalen Zeitalter“ (28.–30. September 2026, Universität Bremen)
wurde verlängert.

🗓️ Neue Deadline: 23. Januar 2026

Die Tagung widmet sich der Standortbestimmung und Neuausrichtung der Onomastik unter den Bedingungen der Digitalität. Im Fokus stehen digitale Methoden, Datenbanken, Visualisierungen, neue Forschungsgegenstände sowie Namen im digitalen Raum. Willkommen sind Beiträge aus allen Bereichen der Namenforschung sowie aus angrenzenden Disziplinen wie Digital Humanities, Informatik, Geschichte oder Geografie.

Geplant sind:

• Vorträge (20 Minuten + 10 Minuten Diskussion)

• Posterpräsentationen für den wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs

Abstracts (max. 300 Wörter inkl. Literatur) können bis zum 23. Januar 2026 per E-Mail an
📧 onodig26@uni-bremen.de eingereicht werden.

Conférence SFO "Les thalassonymes dans l’archipel d’Ouessant"

 Société française d’onomastique

Lundi 19 janvier 2026 – 17h

 

Conférence

(accessible en visio)

 

« Les thalassonymes dans l’archipel d’Ouessant :

usages et jeux de pouvoirs »

par Victor Hamelin,

université de Genève – chaire UNESCO “Dénommer le monde”

 

 

Comment nommer un espace en mouvement constant comme le milieu maritime, où pratiques nautiques et regards situés recomposent sans cesse les contours et les significations de ce qui fait lieu ? Au gré des marées et des usages, la toponymie nautique et littorale révèle un palimpseste de noms qui apparaissent, s’effacent ou se transforment au fil de l’eau. 

Dans cet environnement, où la microtoponymie échappe aux cadres d’adressage institutionnels, plusieurs corpus toponymiques se superposent et reflètent donc les différentes manières de s’approprier l’espace côtier. 

À partir d’un travail mené sur l’archipel d’Ouessant, dans le cadre d’un mémoire de recherche, cette conférence montre comment les eaux ouessantines et leurs toponymes témoignent des tensions entre efficacité cartographique, standardisation linguistique et reconnaissance des savoirs locaux.

 

Archives nationales, site de Paris
CARAN – salle suspendue
11 rue des Quatre-Fils
75003 Paris

 

Accès libre et gratuit

 

Cliquer ici pour rejoindre la réunion

 

 

 

https://www.sfo-onomastique.fr/conference/conference-les-thalassonymes-dans-larchipel-douessant-usages-et-jeux-de-pouvoirs-19-janvier-2026/

Apply for the ICOS Summer School until 31 January 2026 and be part of the future of name studies

ICOS Summer School 2026: Digital Tools and Databases in Onomastics

The International Council of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS) will host its third Summer School in Helsinki, Finland, from 24 to 28 August 2026, bringing together a new generation of onomastic scholars for an intensive, forward-looking week of training, exchange, and collaboration. This year’s theme, “Digital tools and databases,” reflects the profound transformation that digital methods, large datasets, and AI are bringing to the study of names.

Designed primarily for PhD students (with motivated Master’s students also welcome), the Summer School offers a rare opportunity to learn from leading international experts while working hands-on with contemporary onomastic data. Participation is exclusive to ICOS members, and the programme is hybrid, with up to 25 on-site and 25 online participants. Thanks to support from ICOS and the University of Helsinki, the course has no participation fee, and all attendees will receive a diploma and a recommendation for 5 ECTS credits (to be validated by their home universities).

A week where names meet data

The programme opens on Monday, 24 August, with an orientation day that immediately immerses students in how traditional fieldwork and observation connect to digital research. Terhi Ainiala introduces how interviews and observations can be transformed into onomastic data, followed by Leena Kolehmainen, who explores how multilingual cemetery landscapes move from visual reality to structured digital databases. Group activities then help participants get to know one another and build a collaborative learning environment.

On Tuesday, the focus shifts squarely to data. A dedicated session on research data management is followed by lectures on working with imperfect historical name data (Minna Nevala), the challenges of digital tools in minority-language onomastics with a focus on Saami (Taarna Valtonen), and the role of generative AI in higher education (Kalle Juuti). The day concludes with an onomastics-themed city walk, turning Helsinki itself into a living dataset.

Wednesday is devoted to presentation workshops, giving participants the chance to practice not only presenting their own research but also chairing sessions - key academic skills rarely taught formally. A recreational outing in the afternoon adds an important social dimension to the academic programme.

On Thursday, lectures highlight the breadth of digital onomastics: from place names in Helsinki literature (Lieven Ameel) to names in the video game Alan Wake II (Lasse Hämäläinen & Milla Juhonen), from street-name ideologies visualised over time and space (Isabelle Buchstaller & Seraphim Alvanides) to online and offline linguistic landscapes (Väinö Syrjälä). An excursion to the Institute of the Languages of Finland rounds out the day.

The week culminates on Friday with a fully hands-on focus: working with the digital Names Archive (Jaakko Raunamaa), exploring onomastic terminology via the Helsinki Term Bank (Harri Kettunen), and discussing the opportunities and challenges of automatic pseudonymisation (Therese Lindström Tiedemann & Lisa Södergård). The closing discussion ties together methods, ethics, and future directions for digital name research.

Apply and be part of the future of name studies

Applications for the ICOS Summer School 2026 will be open 12–31 January 2026, with results announced by 13 February. With only 50 places available in total, early and well-prepared applications are strongly encouraged. Questions can be directed to the course organizer Milla Juhonen at the University of Helsinki.

For anyone working with names in a digital age - from databases and GIS to AI and visualisation - the ICOS Summer School 2026 promises to be a landmark event, combining cutting-edge methods with the collegial spirit that defines the global onomastics community.

The application form for the ICOS Summer School 2026 is now open. You can access it via the following link: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/138447/lomake.html

Applications can be submitted until 31 January 2026. Applicants will be informed of the results by 13 February 2026.

 

For further information, please contact Milla Juhonen (milla.juhonen@helsinki.fi).

Twenty Years of Participatory Toponymic Mapping in the Andes (2005–2025)

 When Places Speak: Indigenous Toponymy in the Bolivian Andes

In early January 2026, scholars, practitioners, and Indigenous knowledge holders gathered in the Atacama Desert at the V Escuela de Verano in San Pedro de Atacama for an unforgettable encounter of cross-cultural knowledge systems. Among the presenters was Dr. Elvira Serrano, who, alongside her colleague, shared two decades of collaborative work with Quechua and Aymara community members in the highlands of Bolivia - a journey that radically reshapes how we think about place names and landscape.

Their talk, titled “Toponymical maps – documenting ancestral knowledge in the Bolivian Andes,” did more than describe map-making: it brought to life a worldview where landscapes speak, and human naming is not a one-way act of designation but a form of dialogue with place. In Indigenous Andean cosmologies, a mountain is not an inert object on a grid; it is an active being with agency, memory, and presence. Lakes have emotions, fields walk, and places reveal their own names to those who listen. This deeply relational perspective situates place names not as labels but as living cultural and ecological relationships rooted in centuries of observation, ritual, and reciprocal care.

Toponymy That Matters: Culture, Rights, and Governance

Documenting and mapping these place names is far more than a linguistic exercise. It is tightly linked to contemporary struggles for environmental governance, land and water rights, and cultural survival. By recording Indigenous toponyms together with their meanings and stories, Serrano and collaborators create tools that affirm community histories and territorial claims, support ecological understanding, and strengthen collective identity. In the Andes, toponyms encapsulate ecosystem knowledge - embodying ecological functions, seasonal rhythms, and historical events that scientific maps often overlook. Such Indigenous place names have been shown to reflect integrated human–environment relationships that differ sharply from Western cartographic traditions, in which nature and culture are often separated.

This approach echoes earlier scholarly work demonstrating how Andean place names integrate linguistic, cultural, and ecological information, not just spatial coordinates. In Bolivia, research has shown that Indigenous place names - created through communal interaction with the landscape - encode environmental knowledge, geodiversity, and social history, which can serve both academic understanding and community-based land management strategies.

Ethics and Participation: Who Owns the Map?

Central to this work is a commitment to ethical research practice. Mapping Indigenous place names must not reproduce colonial patterns of extraction or academic appropriation. Rather than simply collecting place names for external use, Serrano and her collaborators engage communities in long-term dialogues about who retains access to the data, how it is stored, and how it is returned to the people whose knowledge it embodies. The aim is not external publication alone, but community empowerment - supporting decisions about their own territories according to locally defined priorities.

This ethical stance aligns with broader discussions in Indigenous geography and critical toponymy, which emphasize community control over spatial narratives and resist the imposition of external categories on Indigenous landscapes.

Beyond the Map: Landscape as kin, not object

In the Andean Indigenous worldview shared at the event, places are at once culture and nature - defying the very division that underpins most Western academic disciplines. Mountains protect, lakes communicate, fields change and move - in an ongoing exchange with human actors who are themselves shaped by ritual, memory, and reciprocal responsibility.

The concept that “places reveal their names to people” disrupts the assumption that humans impose meaning on a silent landscape. Instead it positions place names as dialogues emerging from lived experience and reciprocal presence. This resonates with in-depth ethnographic perspectives that treat Indigenous toponyms as ecosystem concepts, highlighting how naming reflects ecological integration and a personalized sense of place.

Looking Forward: INDAGAR and the Future of Applied Toponymy

This work is part of a broader research initiative - the Indigenous Agroecological Territories (INDAGAR) project — which seeks to link Indigenous territorial knowledge with agroecological governance and sustainability. Although much of this project’s focus centers on food systems and environmental resilience, its inclusion of Indigenous place names highlights the central role of spatial knowledge in community-led ecological stewardship.

As the field of toponymy evolves, contributions like those presented in the desert of Atacama remind us that place names are not static keys to a past world, but living inscriptions of heritage, identity, and ecological practice. When places speak, they tell histories that official maps have long ignored — and in doing so, they empower the people whose ancestral ties to land continue to shape cultural and environmental futures.

Online Lecture "Slavic Anthroponymy: Types of Polish Surnames"

 Family names are more than inherited labels – they are linguistic fossils of migration, social structure, and cultural memory. On 19 January 2026, the Exchange & Empower Guest Lecture Series brings this idea to life with a special online talk by Dr. Henryk Duszyński-Karabasz, one of today’s leading scholars of Slavic anthroponymy.

Under the title “Slavic Anthroponymy: Types of Polish Surnames,” the lecture will explore how Polish and Slavic family names preserve traces of medieval settlement patterns, occupations, kinship systems, and identity formation. From patronymics and toponyms to nicknames turned hereditary, surnames reveal how language records the lived history of communities over centuries.

Dr. Duszyński-Karabasz is internationally known for his work on Slavic onomastics, particularly Polish naming systems and their historical development. In this session, he will demonstrate how surnames function as a cultural DNA, encoding information about where people came from, how societies were organized, and how identity was linguistically shaped.

Event Details

📅 19 January 2026
🕗 08:30 Warsaw time
🕝 14:30 Bangkok time
🌐 Online lecture

Participants from around the world are invited to join this virtual lecture. Simply scan the QR code on the event poster to enter the online lecture hall.

This event offers a rare opportunity to see how the history of Europe — migrations, professions, and social hierarchies — is still visible today in the surnames we carry. Whether you are a linguist, genealogist, historian, or simply curious about the stories hidden in names, this lecture promises deep insight into how language preserves our past.

Celebrating 30 Years of BehindTheName.com

This year marks a remarkable milestone for BehindTheName.com, which has been in continuous operation for 30 years as of January 2026. What began in early 1996 as a small personal project under the title “The Etymology of First Names” soon grew into a pioneering online resource dedicated to the origin, meaning, and history of given names from around the world. In 2000, it adopted the memorable domain behindthename.com, setting the stage for decades of expansion and refinement.

Over three decades, the site has amassed a vast database that includes tens of thousands of names across cultures and periods, from ancient and mythological names to contemporary usages, and supports interactive features such as search tools, name popularity statistics, and a vibrant community through polls and message boards. Its commitment to scholarly accuracy and comprehensive documentation has made it a trusted reference not only for expectant parents and writers but also for linguists, genealogists, and onomastics enthusiasts around the globe.

The importance of BehindTheName.com lies in its commitment to cultural inclusivity, linguistic depth, and accessibility. It offers users an unprecedented opportunity to explore how names have evolved across languages and societies, helping millions understand not just what a name “means” but where it comes from and how it has been used historically.

As it enters its fourth decade, BehindTheName.com continues to grow through volunteer contributions, editorial improvements, and community engagement, reinforcing its position as a foundational resource in the world of name studies. 

Michael Campbell is the founder, administrator, and editor-in-chief of BehindTheName.com, one of the world’s leading online resources for the study of personal names. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, he launched the website in 1996 as a personal project devoted to researching and documenting given names and their histories. What began as a hobby grew steadily into a comprehensive international reference work, and since 2016 it has been his full-time professional endeavor. 

Here is its statistics and timeline:

 

BtN by the Numbers

41,000	given names, surnames and place names in the main collection
385,000	user-submitted names (some since deleted)
6,000	name elements
77,000	namesakes
278,000	user accounts created
3,640,000	messages posted to the message boards
407,000	polls created
15,647,000	poll votes cast
346,000	comments left on names
1,148,000	ratings left on names
1,373,000	up/down votes for comments and messages
2,938,000	names added to personal name lists

BtN through the Years

1996	▶ site launch!
1997	▶ alphabetical lists of names with basic meanings along with a few supporting pages
1998	▶ vote for your favourite names
1999	▶ message board ▶ a few name popularity lists ▶ basic search functionality using Perl
2000	▶ new server and new address: behindthename.com
2001	▶ anagram names ▶ a few lists of famous namesakes ▶ server upgrade
2002	▶ usage and pronunciation info for some names ▶ surname site ▶ name days ▶ user registration system ▶ message boards split into name facts and name opinions ▶ 10,000 given names in the database
2003	▶ random name generator ▶ polls ▶ server upgrade
2004	▶ user comments for names ▶ name games and lounge message boards ▶ each name gets its own page ▶ adoption of PHP and MySQL
2005	▶ glossary ▶ personal name lists ▶ background generation of related names ▶ Greek and Cyrillic script for names
2006	▶ user-submitted names ▶ name ratings ▶ popularity prediction game ▶ private messages ▶ writing message board ▶ Hebrew and Arabic script for names
2007	▶ name of the day ▶ all names categorized with at least one usage ▶ Devanagari script for names ▶ Han characters for Chinese, Japanese and Korean names
2008	▶ multiple lists per user for personal name lists ▶ images for names
2009	▶ name popularity graphs ▶ robust internal structure for name relations
2010	▶ name family trees ▶ ratings for personal name lists ▶ server upgrade ▶ Persian and Thai script for names
2011	▶ U.S. state-by-state popularity animations ▶ place name site ▶ basic name browser ▶ Georgian and Armenian script for names ▶ popularity and related name blurbs on name pages
2012	▶ API ▶ namesake redesign ▶ server upgrade
2013	▶ major site-wide layout revamp ▶ fantasy random names
2014	▶ redesign submitted name interface ▶ surnames/place names/user-submitted names on personal name lists ▶ name elements
2015	▶ namesake browser ▶ colourful banner and tabs at the top of each name page ▶ up and down votes for comments
2016	▶ major revisions to Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese names ▶ user-created name categories ▶ 20,000 given names in the main collection ▶ 100,000 user-submitted names
2017	▶ random life story for random names ▶ major revisions to Indian names ▶ IPA pronunciations ▶ server upgrade, plus https
2018	▶ mobile-friendlier design ▶ major revisions to Hebrew and Ancient Mesopotamian names
2019	▶ name browser redesign ▶ U.S. meta popularity ▶ up and down votes for some message board posts
2020	▶ search bar upgrades ▶ yet another name browser redesign ▶ 200,000 user-submitted names
2021	▶ message board redesign ▶ message board tagging
2022	▶ notification system for registered users ▶ popularity comparison and visualizations ▶ major revisions to Celtic, Indigenous American, African and Germanic names ▶ phonetic name elements ▶ web server upgrade
2023	▶ name meanings reverse dictionary ▶ track approximate fame level for namesakes ▶ 300,000 user-submitted names ▶ database server upgrade
2024	▶ dark mode ▶ audio pronunciations ▶ major revisions to Slavic, Arabic, Persian and Indian names
2025	▶ trophies for registered users ▶ games and quizzes ▶ personal name list redesign ▶ 30,000 given names in the database

Korean YouTube Channel "Professor Seo’s Onomastics Classroom" (서선생 명리교실)

서선생 명리교실 is a Korean YouTube channel dedicated to the study of personal names, their structure, history, and cultural significance. The channel’s title can be translated roughly as “Professor Seo’s Onomastics Classroom” which already signals its core mission: education rather than entertainment.

What is 서선생 명리교실 about?

This channel offers lecture-style videos on topics related to 성명학 (anthroponymic name studies), with a particular focus on:

• The history of personal names (성명, 姓名)

• The history and function of given names (명, 名)

• Conceptual foundations of name studies in East Asian contexts

• Traditional and historical perspectives on naming practices

Several videos are explicitly structured as numbered lectures (e.g. Lecture 4: The History of Personal Names / The History of Given Names), making the channel resemble an online course or classroom series.

Rather than popularized “naming advice,” the content emphasizes:

• historical development

• terminology

• conceptual distinctions (surname vs. given name)

• cultural and intellectual traditions surrounding names

Who is this channel for?

The channel is especially relevant for:

• students of linguistics, onomastics, or Korean studies

• researchers interested in East Asian naming systems

• viewers seeking a structured, explanatory approach to names and naming

Overall, 서선생 명리교실 functions as a digital archive of lectures on the history and theory of personal names, presented in a clear and pedagogical manner.

---

🇰🇷 한국어 버전

서선생 명리교실은 어떤 채널인가요?

서선생 명리교실은 개인 이름과 관련된 학문, 즉 **성명학(姓名學)**을 주제로 한 교육 중심의 유튜브 채널입니다. 채널명에 포함된 *“교실”*이라는 표현처럼, 이 채널은 강의 형식의 콘텐츠를 통해 체계적인 학습을 제공하는 데 목적이 있습니다.

채널의 주요 주제는 다음과 같습니다.

• 성명(姓名)의 역사: 성과 이름이 어떻게 형성되고 변화해 왔는가

• 명(名)의 역사: 이름의 기능과 의미, 역사적 발전

• 동아시아 전통 속에서의 이름 개념과 분류

• 성명학의 기본 개념과 용어

여러 영상은 *“제4강”*과 같은 형식으로 구성되어 있어, 하나의 연속 강의 시리즈처럼 시청할 수 있습니다.

이 채널은 단순한 작명 요령이나 대중적 콘텐츠보다는

• 역사적 맥락

• 개념적 구분

• 학문적 설명

에 초점을 둔 것이 특징입니다.

이런 분들께 추천합니다

• 성명학, 언어학, 한국학에 관심 있는 학생과 연구자

• 한국 및 동아시아 이름 체계의 역사적 배경을 알고 싶은 분

• 강의식, 학습 중심 콘텐츠를 선호하는 시청자

서선생 명리교실은 유튜브라는 플랫폼을 통해 성명학 강의를 꾸준히 축적해 나가는, 온라인 학문 강의실이라고 할 수 있습니다.

[성명학] 4강 성명(姓名)의 역사 / 명(名)의 역사 / Lecture 4: The History of Korean Personal Names

4강 명(名)의 역사 강의교재 : 28p~33p [정통 성명학 자원오행사전] 개정판, 서소옥, 한국학술정보, 2023. 작명 시 필요한 한자의 원획, 자원오행, 사용적합여부를 표기한 자원오행사전이 부록으로 실려있으며, 성씨별로 길한 수리사격의 배열을 계산하여 표로 수록하여 작명할때 편리하게 찾아볼 수 있도록 하였습니다. 서점이나 온라인판매처에서 구입할 수 있습니다. 참고 : 교재는 강의 이후 개정한 서적으로, 강의 내용과 순서가 교재와 약간 다른 부분이 있을 수 있습니다.

Onomástica desde América Latina – Volume 7, No. 1 (2026)

 The 2026 first issue of Onomástica desde América Latina (v. 7, n. 1) has just been published, bringing together a rich collection of studies on toponymy, anthroponymy, naming practices, language contact, and sociocultural identity across different regions of the world. The contributions span Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, highlighting how names function as historical records, social markers, and dynamic linguistic forms.

This issue opens with Robson Santos Silva’s historical examination of the shift from traditional to critical toponymy, tracing how approaches to place-naming have evolved alongside social and political thought. Yolanda Guillermina López Franco offers a lexicological and socio-anthroponymic analysis of the most common first names in Mexico in 2021, shedding light on cultural preference patterns and demographic trends.

A team study by Gilberto Maximiano Ceballos Esqueda, Gloria Ignacia Vergara Mendoza, Lucila Gutiérrez Santana, and José Manuel González Freire proposes a methodological framework for classifying nicknames in Cuauhtémoc, Colima, showing how informal naming practices shape community identity. From Cuba, Adianys Collazo Allen explores the proprial phrases found in the naming of communication routes, revealing how infrastructure and spatial narratives intertwine.

Expanding the geographic lens, Thi Minh Thao Le and Pham Thi Ngoc present a sociolinguistic investigation of modern naming trends in Vietnam, focusing on intersections of gender, culture, and contemporary identity. Meanwhile, Oluwatosin Mercy Ajayi, Esther Avosuahi Onmoke, and Idowu Odebode analyze the morphological processes behind the anglicization of Yoruba personal names on Facebook, illustrating how digital environments influence name adaptation and self-presentation.

In another contribution, Chenglin Zhu and Gabriel Antunes de Araujo examine phonetic adaptations in the translation of onomastic lexicon in the works of Ruggieri, offering insights into literary translation and cross-linguistic mediation. The Mini section features Anna Choleva-Dimitrova, Nadezhda Dancheva, Maya Vlahova-Angelova, and Gergana Petkova with a concise contemporary overview of the Bulgarian personal name system in the early 21st century.

Together, these articles demonstrate the vitality and diversity of current onomastic research - from local naming customs to global naming dynamics.

Explore the full issue here: https://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/onomastica/issue/view/1629

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Português

Onomástica desde América Latina – Volume 7, n. 1 (2026) - Nova edição publicada

A nova edição de Onomástica desde América Latina (v. 7, n. 1, 2026) já está disponível, reunindo estudos que abordam toponímia, antropônimos, práticas de nomeação, contato linguístico e identidade sociocultural em diferentes contextos regionais. Os artigos percorrem espaços da América Latina, Europa, África e Ásia, mostrando como os nomes funcionam como registros históricos e marcas sociais em constante transformação.

O número se inicia com o trabalho de Robson Santos Silva, que apresenta um percurso histórico do movimento da toponímia tradicional para a toponímia crítica. Yolanda Guillermina López Franco analisa, sob uma perspectiva lexicológica e socioantropônimica, os prenomes mais atribuídos no México em 2021.

Em seguida, Gilberto Maximiano Ceballos Esqueda, Gloria Ignacia Vergara Mendoza, Lucila Gutiérrez Santana e José Manuel González Freire propõem uma metodologia para a classificação de apelidos em Cuauhtémoc, Colima, evidenciando práticas identitárias locais. De Cuba, Adianys Collazo Allen investiga as expressões propriais associadas às vias de comunicação.

No campo internacional, Thi Minh Thao Le e Pham Thi Ngoc apresentam um estudo sociolinguístico sobre as tendências modernas de nomeação no Vietnã, com foco em gênero e cultura. Oluwatosin Mercy Ajayi, Esther Avosuahi Onmoke e Idowu Odebode examinam os processos morfológicos de anglicização de antropônimos iorubás no Facebook.

Chenglin Zhu e Gabriel Antunes de Araujo analisam adaptações fonéticas na tradução do léxico onomástico nas obras de Ruggieri. Na seção Mini, Anna Choleva-Dimitrova, Nadezhda Dancheva, Maya Vlahova-Angelova e Gergana Petkova apresentam uma perspectiva contemporânea do sistema de nomes pessoais na Bulgária atual.

A edição reafirma a força e a pluralidade da pesquisa onomástica contemporânea.

Leia a edição completa: https://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/onomastica/issue/view/1629

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Español

Onomástica desde América Latina – Volumen 7, n.º 1 (2026) - Nueva edición disponible

Ya está publicada la nueva edición de Onomástica desde América Latina (v. 7, n.º 1, 2026), que reúne una serie de trabajos dedicados a la toponimia, la antroponimia, las prácticas de nombramiento, el contacto lingüístico y las dimensiones socioculturales del nombre en diversas regiones del mundo.

El número abre con el artículo de Robson Santos Silva, que recorre la transición histórica de la toponimia tradicional a la toponimia crítica. Yolanda Guillermina López Franco ofrece un enfoque lexicológico y socioantroponímico sobre los nombres propios más atribuidos en México en 2021.

El equipo formado por Gilberto Maximiano Ceballos Esqueda, Gloria Ignacia Vergara Mendoza, Lucila Gutiérrez Santana y José Manuel González Freire propone una metodología para clasificar los apodos de Cuauhtémoc, Colima, mostrando su papel en la construcción identitaria local. Desde Cuba, Adianys Collazo Allen estudia las oraciones propriales vinculadas a las vías de comunicación.

A escala internacional, Thi Minh Thao Le y Pham Thi Ngoc analizan las tendencias modernas de nombramiento en Vietnam desde una perspectiva sociolingüística centrada en género y cultura. Oluwatosin Mercy Ajayi, Esther Avosuahi Onmoke e Idowu Odebode examinan los procesos morfológicos de anglicización de nombres yorubas en Facebook.

Por su parte, Chenglin Zhu y Gabriel Antunes de Araujo investigan las adaptaciones fonéticas en la traducción del léxico onomástico en las obras de Ruggieri. En la sección Mini, Anna Choleva-Dimitrova, Nadezhda Dancheva, Maya Vlahova-Angelova y Gergana Petkova presentan una visión contemporánea del sistema de nombres personales en Bulgaria.

El volumen pone de relieve la diversidad temática y metodológica de la onomástica actual.

Consultar el número completo: https://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/onomastica/issue/view/1629

Name It to Map It: Exploring How Onomastic Databases Enable AI to Navigate Culture and Identity

 By Eugen Schochenmaier

I’m pleased to share my latest article, “Name It to Map It: Exploring How Onomastic Databases Enable AI to Navigate Culture and Identity”, now published in Onomastica Uralica (Vol. 20, 2025).

This piece examines the powerful synergy between onomastics and artificial intelligence. Far from being mere labels, personal and place names encode rich layers of linguistic, cultural, and historical information. When structured into comprehensive databases like Nomograph (developed by Mondonomo), these names become foundational resources for ethical, context-aware AI systems.

The article explores real-world applications: from detecting health disparities through surname analysis, to supporting minority-owned businesses in Europe using name-based ethnicity inference, to restoring ancient Greek inscriptions with deep learning. It also addresses critical challenges - such as bias in training data, the complexity of unisex or multilingual names, and the ethical handling of personal identity data.

By bridging computational methods with deep linguistic insight, onomastic AI can promote cultural preservation, social equity, and global interoperability - all while respecting privacy and diversity.

👉 Read the full article (PDF)
Onomastica Uralica, Vol. 20 (2025), pp. 315–324 – Open Access

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Français

Nouvel article. Comment les bases de données onomastiques alimentent une IA pour un monde plus inclusif
Par Eugen Schochenmaier

Je suis heureux de présenter mon nouvel article, « Name It to Map It: Exploring How Onomastic Databases Enable AI to Navigate Culture and Identity », publié dans Onomastica Uralica (vol. 20, 2025).

Cet article explore la synergie entre l’onomastique et l’intelligence artificielle. Loin d’être de simples étiquettes, les noms de personnes et de lieux portent des strates riches d’information linguistique, culturelle et historique. Structurés dans des bases de données comme Nomograph (développée par Mondonomo), ils deviennent des ressources essentielles pour des systèmes d’IA éthiques et sensibles au contexte.

L’article présente des applications concrètes : de la détection des inégalités en santé via l’analyse des patronymes, au soutien des entreprises minoritaires en Europe grâce à l’inférence ethnique à partir des noms, en passant par la restauration d’inscriptions grecques anciennes par apprentissage profond. Il aborde aussi des défis essentiels : les biais dans les données d’entraînement, la complexité des noms unisexes ou multilingues, et le traitement éthique des données identitaires.

En combinant méthodes computationnelles et expertise linguistique, l’IA onomastique peut favoriser la préservation culturelle, l’équité sociale et l’interopérabilité mondiale - tout en respectant la vie privée et la diversité.

👉 Lire l’article complet (PDF)
Onomastica Uralica, vol. 20 (2025), p. 315–324 – Accès libre

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Deutsch

Neuer Artikel. Wie onomastische Datenbanken eine KI für eine inklusivere Welt ermöglichen
Von Eugen Schochenmaier

Ich freue mich, meinen neuen Artikel „Name It to Map It: Exploring How Onomastic Databases Enable AI to Navigate Culture and Identity“ vorzustellen, erschienen in Onomastica Uralica (Band 20, 2025).

Der Beitrag untersucht die fruchtbare Verbindung zwischen Onomastik und künstlicher Intelligenz. Namen sind weit mehr als bloße Etiketten: Sie tragen vielschichtige linguistische, kulturelle und historische Informationen in sich. Werden sie in strukturierte Datenbanken wie Nomograph (entwickelt von Mondonomo) überführt, werden sie zu Schlüsselressourcen für ethische, kontextsensible KI-Systeme.

Der Artikel beleuchtet praktische Anwendungen: von der Erkennung gesundheitlicher Ungleichheiten durch Familiennamenanalyse über die Unterstützung von Minderheitenunternehmen in Europa mittels namensbasierter ethnischen Zuordnung bis hin zur Restaurierung antiker griechischer Inschriften mithilfe neuronaler Netze. Gleichzeitig thematisiert er zentrale Herausforderungen - wie Verzerrungen in Trainingsdaten, die Komplexität uni- oder multilingualer Namen und den ethischen Umgang mit personenbezogenen Identitätsdaten.

Durch die Verknüpfung computergestützter Methoden mit linguistischer Expertise kann onomastische KI zur kulturellen Bewahrung, sozialen Gerechtigkeit und globalen Interoperabilität beitragen - stets unter Wahrung von Datenschutz und Vielfalt.

👉 Volltext lesen (PDF)
Onomastica Uralica, Band 20 (2025), S. 315–324 – Open Access