🌐 First Online Meeting of the International Network for Personal Names Research

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Given Names in Different Countries: Similarities, Differences, Historical and Contemporary Developments

📅 June 12, 2025 | 🕛 12:00–15:00 (UTC+2) | 🖥️ Online via Zoom

Personal names carry deep cultural meaning, historical memory, and sociolinguistic identity. On June 12, 2025, onomasticians and scholars from around the world will come together for a landmark event: the first online meeting of the International Network for Personal Names Research, hosted by Anna-Maria Balbach (University of Münster, Germany) and Emilia Aldrin (Halmstad University, Sweden).

This inaugural meeting focuses on the fascinating topic of given names across different countries - exploring their similarities, differences, and both historical and modern developments.

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🎓 Featured Lectures

• Gerrit Bloothooft (Utrecht University, Netherlands):
  "Personal Names in the Netherlands: Data Sharing for International Comparisons"
  A deep dive into the Dutch naming landscape and how it can inform cross-national anthroponymic research.

• Gergana Petkova (Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria):
  "Personal Names, Latin by Origin, as a Part of the Contemporary Bulgarian Anthroponymicon"
  A linguistic and cultural journey into the persistence of Latin-rooted names in modern Bulgaria.

• Maryann Parada (California State University, USA):
  "Julianys and Jadiel: The Gendered -/is/ and -/jel/ Trends Across Four Decades of Puerto Rican Baby Naming"
  A sociolinguistic look at name trends, gender, and cultural identity among Puerto Ricans.

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💡 Research Pitches: Fresh Ideas in Onomastics

In rapid-fire, 5-minute presentations with Q&A, early-stage projects and collaborative ideas will be presented:

• Latvian Name Studies and International Cooperation
  (Renāte Siliņa-Piņķe, Laimute Balode, Ilga Jansone – University of Latvia)

• Emigration and Identity: Name Giving Among Bulgarian Emigrant Communities in the EU
  (Maya Vlahova-Angelova – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

• Atlas of German First Names
  (Damaris Nübling and Daniel Kroiß – University of Mainz)

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🤝 Let’s Talk Names: Networking & Socializing

The final portion of the meeting will feature interactive breakout rooms - a chance for participants to discuss naming traditions, form collaborations, and simply get to know one another across borders.

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📝 Registration & Participation

If you're interested in joining this exciting event, there's still time to register:
🔗 Register here

📎 A detailed program and Zoom link are also available on the official site, or via the event organizers.

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Join us on June 12, 2025, to see the world through the lens of names.
Because every name tells a story.