The upcoming
INTERONOMA – International Congress of Onomastics promises to be a landmark event in the global study of names, with a rich and diverse program of keynote lectures, case studies, and interdisciplinary panels.
Held at the Faculty of Letters at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the conference will bring together scholars from across continents to explore the social, cultural, and political implications of naming practices.
Below we highlight some of the invited speakers and their presentations:
🔴 Leonardo Tuyenikumwe Pedro (Angola)
Lecture: The role of toponymy in building peace and national reconciliation in Angola: the case of Cuanhama municipality
Pedro, Assistant Professor at the University of Namibe, focuses on how place names in Angola reflect post-conflict reconstruction, collective memory, and efforts toward national unity. His lecture explores how naming can serve as a powerful tool in peacebuilding processes in Portuguese-speaking Africa.
🔴 Andérbio Márcio Silva Martins (Brazil)
Lecture: The social impact of naming processes in minority groups: the case of the Guarani and Kaiowá in Mato Grosso do Sul
Martins, a professor at the Federal University of Grande Dourados, works in Indigenous and Intercultural Studies.
His research examines how naming intersects with identity politics and cultural resistance among Brazil’s Indigenous Guarani and Kaiowá communities.
🔴 Carmen Fernández Juncal (Spain)
Lecture: The social impact of naming people: Onomastic attribution – structures and attitudes
Juncal, director of a master’s program in linguistic research and academic writing, delves into how individuals are named and labeled, and how those acts reflect wider social ideologies.
Her talk explores the linguistic mechanisms behind personal name attribution and the attitudes that shape them.
🔴 José Jorge Mahumane (Mozambique)
Lecture: Between inclusion and exclusion in the toponymy of Maputo, Beira, and Quelimane
Mahumane, from the Eduardo Mondlane University, investigates the colonial and postcolonial layers of place names in Mozambique.
He questions whether toponymy fosters civic inclusion or marginalization, offering insights into the symbolic reconfiguration of public space.
🔴 Derek Alderman (USA)
Lecture: Making a place named freedom: Black livingness, onomastic activism, and civil rights struggles in the USA
Alderman, Chancellor’s Professor of Geography at the University of Tennessee, brings a powerful perspective on the intersection of race, space, and naming.
His lecture focuses on how African American communities reclaim agency through place-naming as part of civil rights and memory activism.
🔴 Karylleila dos Santos Andrade (Brazil)
Lecture: Exploring toponymy in the classroom
A professor at the Federal University of Tocantins, Andrade offers a pedagogical lens on how place names can be integrated into educational curricula.
Her work highlights the didactic power of toponymy in fostering geographic awareness and cultural sensitivity in schools.
🔴 Alexandre Melo de Sousa (Brazil)
Lecture: Onomastic studies on sign languages: What has Brazil been producing?
Sousa, professor at the Federal University of Alagoas, presents cutting-edge research on the intersection of naming and sign language.
His work broadens the scope of onomastic studies to include visual-gestural languages, emphasizing inclusivity in linguistic research.
🌍 A Global Platform for Onomastic Dialogue
With topics ranging from post-colonial place naming in Africa to minority language rights, urban identity, and sign language onomastics, INTERONOMA 2025 is set to be a vibrant, multilingual, and interdisciplinary congress. Presentations will be held in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS), reflecting the inclusive spirit of the event.
🗓️ Event details: INTERONOMA – International Congress of Onomastics
📍 Belo Horizonte, Brazil
📅 November 3–7, 2025
🏛️ Federal University of Minas Gerais, Faculty of Letters
🔗 Event page
