Silenced by Dissent: How Two Top Onomasticians Were Voted Out of the Academy

 In May 2025, the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) held elections to appoint new academicians. Two prominent scholars - linguist Elena Berezovich of Ural Federal University and historian Fyodor Uspensky, director of the Vinogradov Institute of the Russian Language - were not elected. Both had previously signed an open letter in 2022 opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

During the election proceedings, academician Valery Kashin publicly criticized Berezovich and Uspensky for their earlier stance, questioning whether they had since changed their position. This intervention is believed to have influenced the voting outcome. Although both candidates received substantial support—351 votes for Berezovich and 352 for Uspensky - they fell short of the required majority of 392 votes out of 782.

Some RAS members suggest that the near-success of these candidates, despite political pressures, indicates a form of protest within the academy against external interference in scientific affairs.

Both Berezovich and Uspensky are distinguished figures in the field of onomastics. Elena Berezovich is renowned for her work in Russian toponymy and ethnolinguistics, serving as the editor-in-chief of the journal Problems of Onomastics and leading the Ural Toponymy Expedition. Her research has significantly contributed to the understanding of Russian dialects and place names.

Fyodor Uspensky specializes in historical onomastics, focusing on the naming conventions and power structures of medieval Russia. He has led interdisciplinary projects examining the language of authority in the Russian Middle Ages, exploring how names and titles reflect societal hierarchies and political dynamics. ncmu.hse.ru

The exclusion of these scholars from the RAS academicianship not only raises concerns about political influence in scientific institutions but also represents a significant loss for the field of onomastics, where both have made substantial contributions.

New Issue of Acta onomastica (2025, Vol. 66, No. 1)

 The first 2025 issue of Acta onomastica offers a fascinating multilingual collection of studies exploring the dynamics between official and unofficial names, dialectal influences, and standardization processes across Europe.

Among the highlights is Michaela Boháčová’s investigation of dialectal and orthographic specificities in Czech vineyard tract names, while Ivana Crljenko delves into the boundaries of official vs. unofficial urban toponymy. Jaroslav David and Martin Bartůněk combine corpus analysis with choronym research to track standard and non-standard forms of Czech regional names.

Peter Jordan contributes a comparative Austrian perspective, analyzing dialectal elements in official names, and Václav Lábus reflects on the interplay between official and unofficial toponyms.

International contributions enrich the issue further: Vadzim Shkliaryk examines additional Belarusian settlement names in Poland’s Podlaskie Province, Joan Tort-Donada discusses linguistic diversity and toponymic normalization in Catalonia, and Maria Vrachionidou investigates dialectal branding in Greek tourism infrastructure.

The Czech context returns with Pavel Štěpán’s study of dialectal features in anoikonyms and urbanonyms, and a collaborative article by Vrbík, Lábus, and Šmída explores cartographic approaches to unofficial naming.

Two book reviews round out the issue - one of “Kdo se zeptá, ten se dozví”, a practical Q&A collection from the Czech language advisory service, and another on Artur Gałkowski’s monograph about onomastic competence in Italian L2 instruction in Poland.

Finally, the issue presents onomastic news, expert opinions, and institutional reports from the Czech Academy of Sciences’ Department of Onomastics for 2024.

This richly curated issue continues Acta onomastica’s legacy as a leading platform for name studies in Europe.

Read more: Acta onomastica – Ústav pro jazyk český AV ČR

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🔎 Hlubší pohled do světa jmen a norem: Nové číslo časopisu Acta onomastica (2025, roč. 66, č. 1)

První číslo roku 2025 přináší pestré spektrum studií věnovaných vztahu mezi oficiálními a neoficiálními jmény, dialektálním vlivům a standardizačním procesům v Evropě.

Michaela Boháčová se věnuje nářečním a pravopisným specifikům viničních tratí v Česku. Ivana Crljenko analyzuje hranice oficiálních a neoficiálních toponym v městském prostředí. Jaroslav David a Martin Bartůněk zkoumají pomocí korpusové analýzy spisovné a nespisovné varianty českých choronym.

Rakouský pohled přináší Peter Jordan, který se věnuje dialektálním prvkům v oficiálních názvech, zatímco Václav Lábus se zamýšlí nad vztahem mezi oficiálními a neoficiálními topony.

Zahraniční příspěvky číslo obohacují: Vadzim Shkliaryk se zaměřuje na dodatečná jména sídel v polském Podleském vojvodství jako specifikum běloruské toponymie, Joan Tort-Donada popisuje procesy standardizace toponym v Katalánsku a Maria Vrachionidou se zabývá dialektem v názvech řeckých ubytovacích a stravovacích zařízení.

Český rámec doplňuje studie Pavla Štěpána o nářečních prvcích v oficiálních anoikonymech a urbanonymech, a článek Vrbíka, Lábuše a Šmídy přináší kartografický pohled na neoficiální názvy.

Číslo obsahuje také recenze dvou knih: „Kdo se zeptá, ten se dozví“, sborník odpovědí jazykové poradny ÚJČ, a monografii Artura Gałkowského o onomastické kompetenci ve výuce italštiny jako cizího jazyka v Polsku.

Závěr čísla tvoří onomastické zprávy, odborná stanoviska a souhrn činnosti oddělení onomastiky ÚJČ AV ČR za rok 2024.

Celé číslo je dostupné na stránkách: Acta onomastica – Ústav pro jazyk český AV ČR

Help Shape the Names of Ontario: Apply to Join the Ontario Geographic Names Board

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 If you’re passionate about place names, cultural heritage, Indigenous knowledge, or the map of Ontario itself, here’s your chance to make a lasting impact. The Ontario Geographic Names Board (OGNB) is now accepting applications for part-time members - and perhaps its next Chair - as part of an exciting opportunity to help shape the linguistic and geographic landscape of Canada’s most populous province.

🗓 Apply by: July 3, 2025
📍 Position type: Part-time
💰 Remuneration: $150 per diem
🔗 Application link and details

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🧭 About the Ontario Geographic Names Board

Established under the Ontario Geographic Names Board Act, the OGNB is the official provincial authority that reviews, advises, and makes recommendations about the names of geographical features and unincorporated places across Ontario. These include names in English, French, and Indigenous languages, with a commitment to cultural respect, linguistic accuracy, and historical relevance.

The board consists of seven members, including experts in:

• Toponymy, onomastics, and linguistics

• Geography and cartography

• Ontario history

• Geomatics (GIS, mapping, surveying)

• Francophone and Indigenous affairs

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👥 What You'll Do

As a Board Member, your role would include:

• Attending up to four meetings annually (typically three virtual, one in-person)

• Reviewing naming proposals and policies

• Engaging with communities and stakeholders

• Participating in sub-committees or working groups

• Promoting inclusive and respectful geographic naming practices

Meetings are typically held in Peterborough, but members may attend from across Ontario. Travel and accommodations are covered according to provincial guidelines.

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✅ Who Should Apply?

Ideal candidates are:

• Experienced in name studies, cultural geography, or related disciplines

• Knowledgeable about Ontario’s diverse linguistic and cultural traditions

• Committed to Indigenous consultation and reconciliation

• Skilled in group facilitation, impartial deliberation, and policy review

Whether you’re a linguist, historian, Indigenous knowledge keeper, surveyor, geographer, or community advocate, your voice can help preserve and promote the stories that names carry.

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🤝 Diversity and Inclusion

The OGNB is committed to reflecting the full diversity of Ontario. Applications are encouraged from members of Indigenous, Francophone, and equity-deserving communities, as well as young professionals, academics, and retired experts who want to give back.

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📌 How to Apply

View the official posting and submit your application via the Public Appointments Secretariat by July 3, 2025:
👉 Public Appointments Application Portal

Be part of a team where names matter - and help ensure they tell the full story of Ontario’s places and people.

#Ontario #Toponymy #GeographicNames #PublicService #Onomastics #IndigenousPlaceNames #Cartography #Linguistics #HeritageMatters #OGNB2025 #JoinTheBoard #MapOntario

🌍 Names, Norms, and Breaking Boundaries: Highlights from the 18th NORNA Congress in Halmstad

From May 21 to 23, 2025, the city of Halmstad became the center of Nordic onomastic research as it hosted the 18th NORNA Congress at Halmstad University. Under the theme “Names, Norms and Norm-Breaking”, scholars from across the Nordic countries - and beyond - gathered to discuss how names both reflect and resist societal expectations.

Emilia Aldrin's LinkedIn

Organized by the Nordic Cooperative Committee for Onomastic Research (NORNA), the congress welcomed participants from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and this year also from the UK. Over three days, presentations explored a wide array of topics including personal and place names, digital usernames, naming and migration, naming laws, trends, and the social impact of norm-breaking names.

The congress opened with a compelling keynote by Jane Pilcher (UK) on “People’s Names: Choices and Constraints”, setting the tone for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange. Later plenary speaker Lasse Hämäläinen delved into “Norms and Freedom in Online Usernames”, touching on identity and linguistic creativity in digital spaces.

 

Other highlights included talks by Terhi Ainiala, Birgit Eggert, Carin Leibring Svedjedal, Väinö Syrjälä, and Alexandra Petrulevich, who offered fresh perspectives within socio-onomastics - a growing field that examines the intersection of naming, identity, and social structures.

Beyond the academic program, the congress also featured a memorable cultural excursion to Båstad and the Bjäre Peninsula, where participants explored Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s textile art and enjoyed fika with sea views and poetic references to the Hávamál.

Thanks to the leadership of Linnea Gustafsson (Professor) and Emilia Aldrin (Associate Professor), this congress not only strengthened scholarly networks but also placed Halmstad firmly on the map of international name research.

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Namn, normer och normbrott: NORNA 2025 i Halmstad i backspegeln

Mellan den 21 och 23 maj 2025 förvandlades Högskolan i Halmstad till ett nav för nordisk namnforskning när den 18:e NORNA-kongressen gick av stapeln. Temat "Namn, normer och normbrott" lockade forskare från hela Norden – samt från Storbritannien – att tillsammans utforska namnens betydelse i ett föränderligt samhälle.

Kongressen, som anordnas av Nordiska samarbetskommittén för namnforskning (NORNA), samlade deltagare från Sverige, Norge, Danmark, Finland, Island och Storbritannien. Under tre intensiva dagar behandlades ämnen som ortnamn, förnamn, digitala användarnamn, migration och lagstiftning kring namn – alltid med normer och normbrott i fokus.

Kongressen inleddes med ett tankeväckande plenarföredrag av Jane Pilcher (Storbritannien) om “People’s Names: Choices and Constraints”. Dagen därpå höll Lasse Hämäläinen ett uppskattat föredrag om “Norms and Freedom in Online Usernames”, vilket väckte diskussioner om identitet och språkbruk i den digitala världen.

Bland många intressanta föredrag och samtal utmärkte sig även bidrag från Terhi Ainiala, Birgit Eggert, Carin Leibring Svedjedal, Väinö Syrjälä och Alexandra Petrulevich, som belyste nya dimensioner inom socioonomastik – forskningen om namn i relation till sociala sammanhang.

Förutom det vetenskapliga programmet fick deltagarna även uppleva en kulturell utflykt till Bjärehalvön och Båstad. Där bjöds det på fika i Norrvikens trädgårdar, havsutsikt, Märta Måås-Fjetterströms textila konstverk (med inslag från Hávamál) och bara en liten skvätt regn.

Tack vare det lokala värdskapet från Linnea Gustafsson (professor) och Emilia Aldrin (docent) blev kongressen inte bara ett forum för ny kunskap – utan även ett sätt att sätta Halmstad på den onomastiska världskartan.

Every Name Has a Place: Discover Iceland’s People and Farms Through History

Have you ever wondered who lived on a particular Icelandic farm a century ago - or even further back in time?

Thanks to a groundbreaking new platform, you now can.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a powerful open-access tool for historical research and cultural discovery: the Historical People and Farm Database (Icelandic: Sögulegt mann- og bæjatal), now live at 👉 smb.mshl.is

🔍 What Is It?

The database is a digital treasure chest of Icelandic heritage, allowing you to:

• Look up any farm in Iceland and discover who lived there across time.

• Download full datasets in CSV format for your own research, genealogical project, or historical deep-dive.

• Trace names and lineages, connect family stories, and explore regional settlement patterns through centuries of recorded life in Iceland.

This tool provides unprecedented access to Iceland’s rural history - one farm, one name, one generation at a time.

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🧠 Who Made It?

The project is the result of years of careful development by Pétur Húni Björnsson, who has meticulously designed the platform to combine technical excellence with historical richness. His work is hosted by the Center for Digital Humanities and Arts (MSHL) and was generously funded by the Icelandic Infrastructure Fund (Innviðasjóður).

Together, they are pushing forward Iceland’s goal of creating world-class digital infrastructure for the humanities and arts.

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📚 Who Is It For?

Whether you're:

• A historian or academic working on Icelandic rural society,

• A genealogist tracing your Icelandic roots,

• A student working on a local history project,

• Or simply curious about who lived where and when - 

This platform opens a new doorway into Iceland’s human geography.

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💡 Why It Matters

Place names and personal histories are more than data - they are the threads of national memory. By linking farms to families, this database enriches our understanding of Iceland’s social fabric, migration patterns, and naming practices through time.

It also exemplifies how digital humanities can serve both scholarship and public curiosity, offering reliable, open tools to engage with the past.

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🧭 Ready to Explore?

Begin your journey into Icelandic history today:
🔗 smb.mshl.is

Zoom in on a farm. Download a dataset. Learn who stood where you now stand.

🧬 History has never been this searchable.

🌍 UNGEGN 2025 in Review: Geographical Names for a Sustainable Future

 Two weeks after the conclusion of the 2025 session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), we reflect on a week that reaffirmed the centrality of names - yes, names - in building a more sustainable, inclusive, and culturally attuned world.

Held from 28 April to 2 May 2025, this global gathering brought together 197 participants from 56 Member States, uniting experts, policymakers, and observers across UNGEGN’s linguistic and geographical divisions. The theme of the session, “Advancing geographical names standardization through inclusive, culturally-informed and evidence-based solutions to support sustainable development,” echoed across presentations, panels, and side events that touched on everything from Indigenous naming rights to the future of AI in toponymy.

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🗺️ Names Are More Than Labels

Opening the session, Ms. Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs (DESA), reminded participants that “place names underpin data collection, analysis, and decision-making that shape sustainable outcomes worldwide.” With fewer than five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, standardized and culturally-informed geographical names are more essential than ever.

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🌐 National Dialogues: Naming Innovation Around the Globe

From Austria to Australia, Brazil to Brunei, and Norway to New Zealand, delegates shared how their countries are managing, preserving, and innovating in the field of geographical names. These National Dialogues highlighted creative strategies to protect Indigenous naming systems, strengthen legal frameworks, and foster participatory governance.

The collaborative spirit was evident, particularly in the ongoing work between UNGEGN and the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). Notable milestones included the adoption of a Universal Unique Identifier for Cities and new contributions to the World Geographical Names Database - both crucial steps toward harmonized, multilingual, and interoperable geospatial data systems.

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🧠 Technology Meets Tradition: AI and the Future of Naming

A standout session explored the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and geographical names standardization. Case studies, such as generative AI support for Arabic place names, demonstrated how new technologies can aid romanization, respect linguistic heritage, and strengthen national capacities. Yet, this wasn’t a technocratic conversation - it was framed within cultural, ethical, and linguistic contexts.

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🌿 Place Names as Living Heritage

In a moving side event on “Geographical Names as Cultural Heritage,” keynote speaker Aluki Kotierk (Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and former President of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.) emphasized the importance of protecting Indigenous names as living expressions of identity - passed across generations, shaped by place, language, and resilience.

Other discussions throughout the week reinforced this message, showing how standardized naming systems must also be inclusive of minority languages, local knowledge, and cultural context. Geography and heritage, after all, are not separate domains.

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📚 What Comes Next?

The report of the 2025 session is now with editors and will be published shortly. In the meantime, UNGEGN continues its critical work - across digital platforms, regional divisions, and collaborative working groups. Topics ranging from historical name documentation to language-sensitive romanization systems will remain in focus.

The next full session is already on the horizon: UNGEGN will reconvene in person in May 2027. Until then, follow updates via the UNGEGN homepage, browse past Bulletins here, and revisit curious chapters of its history (did you know UNGEGN once had a Working Group on Extraterrestrial Topographic Names?).

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🔗 Get Involved and Stay Connected

UNGEGN’s work thrives on collaboration, shared knowledge, and global participation. Follow updates, engage with content, and contribute to the growing awareness of why place names matter - for governance, for culture, and for sustainability.

🔗 Learn more: UNGEGN Official Website
🔗 Register your interest in future sessions and working groups
🔗 Browse the 2025 Session Program and Resources

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🧭 Geographical names are more than cartographic convenience. They are cultural anchors, tools for justice, and coordinates in the story of humanity. UNGEGN 2025 reminded us of that - and pointed the way forward.

🗺️ Deirdre Flanagan Memorial Lecture 2025: The Placenames of Inishowen

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025

Time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Peter Froggatt Centre (02/018), Queen’s University Belfast
Speaker: Justin Ó Gliasáin (An Brainse Logainmneacha, An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán)

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The Ulster Place-Name Society proudly announces the Deirdre Flanagan Memorial Lecture 2025, an annual event honouring the memory and scholarship of one of Ireland’s most respected toponymists. This year’s lecture, entitled “The Placenames of Inishowen”, will be delivered by Justin Ó Gliasáin, a leading expert from the Irish Government’s Placenames Branch.

Known for his work in onomastics and Irish cultural heritage, Ó Gliasáin will guide attendees through the linguistic, historical, and cultural richness of Inishowen’s place names - a landscape layered with centuries of meaning, from Gaelic and Norse roots to colonial reinterpretations and modern-day revitalisation efforts. Inishowen, a peninsula at the northern edge of County Donegal, holds some of Ireland’s most evocative and storied placenames, reflecting both geographical features and human narratives.

Whether you are a seasoned place-name scholar, a language enthusiast, or someone passionate about the cultural geography of Ireland, this lecture offers a unique opportunity to engage with the intersections of landscape, identity, and language.

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🔍 About the Lecturer

Justin Ó Gliasáin works within the Placenames Branch (An Brainse Logainmneacha) of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. His expertise bridges the technical work of toponymic research and public-facing efforts to preserve and promote Ireland’s rich naming heritage.

🌐 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.

✨ Power in the Name: How Ancient Names Could Heal, Harm, and Command the Unseen

Power in the Name: A Comparative Analysis of Onomastic Invocations (De Gruyter, 2025) is not your typical academic monograph. It weaves together early Christian theology, ancient Mediterranean ritual practice, and Indo-Tibetan Buddhist traditions to pose a simple but radical question:

Can names do things?

🔮 Names that Heal, Help… or Hurt

Kimmel’s book opens with the idea that names - especially divine names - have historically been treated not as neutral labels, but as instruments of numinous force. In the ancient Mediterranean world, uttering the name of Jesus, Aphrodite, or an unnamed deity could be a pathway to healing, protection, or fertility. But in many cases, names were also used for darker purposes: to curse, to punish, to invoke pain upon enemies. As Kimmel shows, even early Christians could summon Jesus’ name not just to cast out demons, but to condemn adversaries with illness or death.

Chapters 1–3 analyze textual and material sources - gospel narratives, apocryphal acts, magical papyri, and amulets - to demonstrate how names functioned as tools of action. These were not metaphors: in 1st- and 2nd-century rituals, invoking a name was understood as doing something real in the world.

📿 From Judea to Tibet: A Comparative Turn

The middle of the book takes a surprising comparative turn. Kimmel brings in the Indo-Tibetan spell tradition, analyzing a 10th-century spellbook that centers on the name Bhṛkuṭī, a wrathful female deity. What emerges is a striking resonance between two seemingly unrelated traditions: both ancient Christians and medieval Tibetan Buddhists treated correct naming as a gateway to power - over nature, over spirits, and over fate.

By engaging with Tibetan mantras and the writings of scholars like André Padoux and Sam van Schaik, Kimmel demonstrates that this “onomastic logic” is not isolated to one religious stream. It’s a global phenomenon, one with profound theological and philosophical implications.

🧠 Philosophy, Ritual, and the Power of the Unspoken

In chapters 5 and 6, Kimmel shifts from ritual practice to intellectual history, exploring how thinkers like Plato, Origen, and Tertullian in the West - and Padoux and Tibetan ritual theorists in the East - grappled with the question of what a name is. Is it merely a symbol, or something closer to an emanation of essence? How tightly is a being bound to its name?

This exploration reveals sharp contrasts: while Mediterranean thinkers often debated whether a name could reflect or invoke essence, Indic traditions leaned more confidently toward a theory of mantra-as-force. Kimmel’s comparative lens shows both the overlap and dissonance in these cosmologies.

🔍 Why This Book Matters

Power in the Name makes bold contributions across several disciplines:

• Religious Studies & Early Christianity: It debunks outdated binaries like “Christian ritual vs. pagan magic,” showing that early Jesus-followers operated with magical expectations surrounding divine names.

• Linguistics & Onomastics: It reframes names not just as linguistic artifacts but as objects of power, capable of being activated, inscribed, and deployed.

• Comparative Religion & Anthropology: It challenges Western materialist assumptions by taking “the uncanny” seriously - healing, cursing, levitating, invoking - while keeping both feet grounded in rigorous textual analysis.

• Intellectual History: It links ancient Mediterranean and Tibetan Indian theories of language, making a rare and nuanced comparative gesture.

This book is an invitation - to historians of religion, to philosophers of language, and to anyone curious about how utterance becomes action.

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🔗 About the Author
Joseph L. Kimmel earned his PhD in the Study of Religion at Harvard and now teaches at Boston College. He’s also an Episcopal priest, a Tibetan linguist, and co-editor of The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Comparative Theology. His forthcoming book, The Many Lives of Mantras, continues his cross-cultural study of names, language, and sacred sound.

Seeing the World through the Onomastic Lens: Xitsonga Anthroponyms and Toponyms

In the ever-expanding field of onomastics some linguistic communities remain relatively underexplored. One such example is the Xitsonga-speaking Vatsonga people of Southern Africa. But thanks to a remarkable new volume titled Seeing the World through the Onomastic Lens: Xitsonga Anthroponyms and Toponyms, this gap is being thoughtfully bridged.

Originating from lively academic conversations at the 2018 Names Society of Southern Africa (NSSA) Conference, this book offers a pioneering exploration of Xitsonga onomastics. The collection compiles a diverse range of chapters that delve into personal names (anthroponyms), place names (toponyms), and ethnonyms - offering readers not only linguistic insights but also cultural and historical depth.

At its heart, the book illuminates how Vatsonga naming practices are deeply intertwined with social realities, values, and aspirations. Naming is not random; it is a rich social act shaped by collective memory, morality, and often, resistance or resilience. Readers are introduced to the dynamics behind why names are chosen, how they are structured, and what they signify within broader societal frameworks.

Beyond traditional onomastic domains, the volume takes an engaging step into literary naming - examining how authors who write in or about Xitsonga employ character names as a powerful tool for storytelling, symbolism, and social critique. This interweaving of language, literature, and identity showcases how names function beyond identification: they create texture, tone, and tension in narrative worlds.

Whether you're a linguist, an African studies scholar, a policy researcher, or simply curious about the cultural weight of names, this book offers a compelling and timely contribution. It doesn't just describe Xitsonga names - it asks us to see the world through them.

Machine Learning v Linear Regression: Gender Sound Symbolism in Japanese Given Names

ANS 2025, February 22, 2025 Machine Learning vs. Linear Regression: A Case Study on Gender Sound Symbolism in Japanese Given Names by Alexander Kilpatrick (Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, Japan) In onomastics, linear regression is commonly used to explore sound symbolism in names, often revealing consistent gender patterns across languages. However, when applied to Japanese given names, Poisson regression suggests atypical gender associations, with patterns that seemingly diverge from those observed in other languages. This study explores whether Japanese behaves differently to other languages or whether this observation comes from limitations in linear regression. Using a dataset of the 1,000 most common Japanese given names, we constructed two XGBoost models—one using phoneme counts and the other using mora counts—to analyze gender associations. Our findings demonstrate that Poisson regression fails to account for the complex interactions and the influence of certain logographs, leading to misleading results. On the surface, Japanese names appear to defy common sound symbolism patterns, suggesting that high front vowels like /i/ are more common in male names, and back-of-mouth plosives like /k/ are more common in female names. However, our XGBoost models, particularly the mora-based model with an accuracy of 82.4%, successfully captured the nuanced interplay of phonetic and logographic elements, uncovering the underlying patterns. The analysis revealed that when accounting for specific logographs, Japanese names actually exhibit gender sound symbolism patterns similar to those in other languages. This case study highlights the superior ability of machine learning to uncover intricate relationships in linguistic data, providing deeper insights into onomastic research and correcting misconceptions suggested by traditional methods. It demonstrates that Japanese names, once logographic influences are considered, follow universal sound symbolism principles. Biography: Alexander Kilpatrick, Associate Professor at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, specializes in Psycholinguistics, Computational Linguistics, Iconicity, English as a Second Language, and the application of machine learning to uncover complex patterns in linguistic data, thereby enriching our comprehension of language acquisition, processing, and cognitive mechanisms.

Nächster Vortrag im Namenkundlichen Online-Kolloquium: Namen und esoterische Sinnstiftung – ein kritischer Blick

AI-generiertes Poster

 📅 Datum: Montag, 16. Juni 2025

🕡 Uhrzeit: 18:30 Uhr (MEZ)

🎤 Referent: Dr. Karl Hohensinner
📝 Titel: Erdgöttin, Heilwissen & Kultplätze: Ein kritischer Blick auf Namen zur Argumentation esoterischer Sinnstiftung
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⏳ Anmeldeschluss: Sonntag, 15. Juni 2025

Die Gesellschaft für Namenforschung lädt herzlich zum nächsten Termin der Reihe Namenkundliches Online-Kolloquium ein. Dieses Mal freuen wir uns besonders auf einen Vortrag von Dr. Karl Hohensinner, der sich einem hochaktuellen Thema widmet: der Verwendung von Ortsnamen in esoterischen Deutungssystemen.

🌌 Vortragsthema

In populären und pseudowissenschaftlichen Diskursen werden Ortsnamen zunehmend als Träger angeblich „uralten Wissens“ interpretiert – oft in Verbindung mit Heilkräften, Erdgöttinnen, Kultplätzen oder mythischen Ahnenvölkern. Diese Namendeutungen werden meist von Personen in selbstdefinierten Expertenrollen vorgetragen und nutzen linguistische Halbwahrheiten zur Konstruktion einer sinnstiftenden Rückbindung an eine vermeintlich ideale Vergangenheit.

Dr. Hohensinner zeigt anhand zahlreicher Beispiele, wie sich solche esoterischen Systeme auf die völkisch-esoterischen Strömungen des späten 19. Jahrhunderts zurückführen lassen – ideologische Ursprünge, die heute vielfach übersehen werden. Ziel des Vortrags ist es, die Strukturen dieser esoterisch motivierten Etymologien offenzulegen und Kriterien für deren schnellere Erkennung zu entwickeln.

🎯 Für wen ist der Vortrag relevant?

Dieser Vortrag richtet sich an Interessierte und Fachleute aus den Bereichen:

• Namenforschung / Onomastik

• Kultur- und Religionswissenschaften

• Volkskunde und Traditionsforschung

• Diskursanalyse

• Sprach- und Geschichtswissenschaft

Er sensibilisiert für die ideologischen Gefahren sprachlicher Vereinnahmung und zeigt, wie man fragwürdige Deutungen argumentativ hinterfragen kann.

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📌 Anmeldung

Die Teilnahme ist kostenlos, eine Anmeldung ist jedoch bis spätestens Sonntag, 15. Juni 2025 erforderlich. Der Zoom-Link wird vor der Veranstaltung an alle Angemeldeten verschickt.

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Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Teilnahme und eine spannende Diskussion!

Herzliche Grüße,
Barbara Aehnlich, Gerhard Rampl, Elisabeth Gruber-Tokić und Martina Heer
Organisationsteam des Namenkundlichen Online-Kolloquiums

🔍 Upcoming Lecture: Place-Names and Esoteric Interpretations – A Critical Perspective

Date: Monday, June 16, 2025
Time: 18:30 (CET)
Speaker: Dr. Karl Hohensinner
Title: Erdgöttin, Heilwissen & Kultplätze: Ein kritischer Blick auf Namen zur Argumentation esoterischer Sinnstiftung
Registration Deadline: Sunday, June 15, 2025
👉 Click here to register

The Society for Name Studies (Gesellschaft für Namenforschung) cordially invites you to the next session of the Namenkundliches Online-Kolloquium — an online lecture series devoted to current themes and challenges in onomastics. This time, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Karl Hohensinner, who will present a critical and timely talk on the use of place-names in esoteric discourse.

🌀 Topic Overview

Esoteric reinterpretations of place-names — often rooted in self-proclaimed "ancient wisdom" — have found increasing visibility in popular culture and alternative historical narratives. Dr. Hohensinner explores how such name interpretations are used by individuals positioning themselves as “experts” to construct ideologically motivated readings of cultural spaces. These narratives frequently center on alleged ancient healing knowledge, goddess cults, sacred sites, and hidden ancestral civilizations.

While these interpretations claim to recover "primordial truths," they often echo patterns established by völkisch-esoteric ideologies of the late 19th century — influences that remain largely unrecognized today. Through carefully selected examples, the lecture will expose the structural features and rhetorical strategies of such reinterpretations and offer tools for identifying ideologically manipulated etymologies more quickly and critically.

🎯 Why This Matters

This talk is essential for anyone working in:

• Toponymy and onomastics

• Cultural and religious studies

• Folklore and heritage research

• Critical discourse analysis

• Historical linguistics and popular etymology

It challenges us to reflect on the societal impact of pseudo-scholarly name interpretations and the enduring legacy of esoteric-nationalist ideologies in contemporary naming discourses.

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📌 Register Now

To attend the lecture, please register by Sunday, June 15. The Zoom link will be emailed to all registered participants in advance.

🔗 Registration Form

We look forward to an engaging session and a lively discussion!

Warm regards,
Barbara Aehnlich, Gerhard Rampl, Elisabeth Gruber-Tokić, and Martina Heer
Organizers of the Namenkundliches Online-Kolloquium

Constructing a Novel Molecular World Based on Names

ANS 2025, February 22, 2025 Constructing a Novel Molecular World Based on Names by David Wade (Wade Research Foundation, USA) Peptides and proteins are polymers of amino acid (AA) monomers, and 22 different types of AAs are gene-encoded and found in these polymers. The name-to-peptide method uses 22 of the 26 letters of the basic Latin alphabet (all letters except B, J, X, and Z), and an internationally recognized single letter nomenclature for the names of AAs, to design and create novel peptides (small proteins), called name peptides. The name peptides are then analysed in silico for potentially useful properties and promising name peptides are chemically synthesized for laboratory testing. An example of the successful application of the name-to-peptide method was the design and creation of peptide WALMART, based on the name of the world’s largest corporation, and it was found to have anticancer and potential antimicrobial properties. The method has been taught to students ranging from the fourth grade to university levels, and this report will describe the results of an exercise taught to biochemistry students at Notre Dame of Maryland University. The names (nouns) chosen for analysis as name peptides were ACADEMIA, FISHES, KRITIKA, PEPTIDE, PINEAPPLE, and SCIENCE. Searches of the US National Institutes of Health protein database, containing the AA sequences of 726,101,206 proteins, revealed that five of the six hypothetical name peptides occurred from 3-4,000 times among the AA sequences of proteins in the database. In silico analyses indicated that one of the six peptides might have antibacterial properties, and that all six might have antiviral properties, including inhibiting infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Biography: David Wade, Ph.D., has extensive, international, postdoctoral, research and teaching experience. He has published about 100 articles of various types, has a patent for a new class of antibiotics with a Nobel Laureate, has presented 68 invited talks in 7 countries, and is the inventor of the name-to-peptide method.

Unpacking the Hottest Baby Names by State in 2024

 We all know the reigning champions: Olivia and Liam continue to hold their national titles as the most popular names in the United States. But step outside the national spotlight, and you'll find a fascinating landscape of regional favorites. The Nameberry's latest analysis of top names by state in 2024 reveals that while some states align with the national trends, many are forging their own unique paths, hinting at shifts that could redefine the most popular names in the years to come.

Girls' Names: Charlotte's Reign Continues, Olivia's Dominance Shifts

While Olivia might still be the queen of the national charts, her grip on individual states is loosening. In 2024, Olivia topped the charts in 17 states, a slight dip from 18 in 2023, showing strong popularity on the West Coast and in the Southwest.

However, the real story for girls' names nationwide is Charlotte. Despite a slight drop from Number 3 to Number 4 nationally, Charlotte swept the country, ranking Number 1 in a remarkable 19 states. This is down slightly from 21 in 2023, but still a clear indicator of its widespread appeal.

Other notable trends on the girls' map include:

• Mia makes a triumphant return, topping the charts in states with significant Spanish-speaking populations like California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York.
• Lainey is a brand-new entrant, seizing the top spot in Montana, likely fueled by country music star Lainey Wilson's popularity, offering a "cowgirl-cool" vibe.
• Amelia gained ground, becoming the top choice in Alaska, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and West Virginia.
• Former national favorite Emma is nearly off the map, clinging on only in Wyoming.
• Evelyn leads in North Dakota, Ava in Mississippi, and Valentina continues its reign in Puerto Rico.

Boys' Names: Liam Holds Strong, Oliver on the Rise

Liam further solidified its national dominance in 2024, claiming the top spot in 23 states – one more than the previous year. This reflects its significant national growth, with over 1200 more Liams born in 2024 across the US.

But keep an eye on Oliver. Despite being the third-most-popular name nationally, Oliver was the top name in an impressive 18 states, up from 13 in 2023. Compare this to Noah, the second-most-popular name nationally, which topped just seven states (albeit populous ones like Pennsylvania and Michigan). Could Oliver be poised to claim the national Number 2 spot in 2025?

Other shifts for boys include:

• James made a comeback on the map, becoming the top name in Washington, D.C.
• Elijah, Henry, John, and Thiago notably dropped off the map.
• Theodore is barely holding on, ranking first only in New Hampshire.

Beyond the Top Spot: Diversity in the Top 5

While national trends often dominate, the Top 5 baby names by state reveal a rich tapestry of local preferences. Most states feature permutations of national Top 10 names, but some show delightful diversity. A total of 26 girl names and 26 boy names earned a spot in at least one state's Top 5.

States with large Latin American and Hispanic populations, such as California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, naturally saw cross-cultural names like Camila, Mia, and Isabella ranking high for girls, and Mateo, Sebastian, and Santiago for boys.

Interestingly, West Virginia led the pack as the state with the "most creative" Top 5, followed by Kentucky, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. These states had the highest proportions of Top 5 names that ranked outside the national Top 10, showcasing unique local tastes.

Some names appeared in only a single state's Top 5, highlighting truly regional favorites:

• Girls: Amira (Puerto Rico), Elizabeth (Alabama), Ivy (Ohio), Kaia (Hawaii), Lily (Hawaii), Lucy (Vermont), Mary (Mississippi), Valentina (Puerto Rico), Zoe (Washington, DC).
• Boys: Brooks (North Dakota), Ethan (New York), Ezekiel (New Mexico), Ezra (Hawaii), Maverick (West Virginia), Michael (New Jersey), Thiago (Puerto Rico).

The baby naming landscape is clearly dynamic, influenced by everything from cultural demographics to pop culture and local tastes. While Olivia and Liam continue their national reign, the state-by-state breakdown reveals a vibrant and diverse picture of what's truly popular across America. What will 2025 bring? Only time, and birth certificates, will tell!

Names and Brand Identity of Ethnic Businesses in Greater Chicago

ANS 2025, February 22, 2025 Names and Brand Identity of Ethnic Businesses in Greater Chicago by Dr. Michel Nguessan (Governors State University, IL, USA) & Cari Didion (Governors State University, IL, USA) The study explores how names and brand identity interact among ethnic businesses in Greater Chicago. It aims to deepen understanding of how business names reflect cultural heritage and contribute to brand identity by analyzing a diverse range of ethnic restaurants and grocery stores. The research involves documentary research and qualitative interviews with business owners and customers to examine the significance of naming conventions, linguistic choices, and cultural symbols in shaping consumer perceptions. The findings highlight the role of names in conveying authenticity, fostering community connections, and differentiating businesses in a competitive market. The research also provides insights into effective branding strategies for ethnic businesses, emphasizing the importance of cultural representation and identity in brand development. The paper is divided into three parts: the first part discusses the concept of ethnic businesses, the second part presents the importance of names in branding ethnic businesses, and the last part discusses the delicate balance between communicating cultural identity and reaching out to a broader customer base to foster a sense of involvement and connection with the cultural significance of these businesses. Biography: Dr. Michel Nguessan is an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at Governors State University, in Illinois. He has academic background and research interest in linguistics/onomastics, software engineering and computer science, library and information science and port/maritime management. He graduated from universities in Côte-d’Ivoire, the USA and Canada. Professor Cari Didion is an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at Governors State University, in Illinois. She has an academic background in science education, library and information science, and higher education leadership. She holds master’s degrees from the University of Georgia and San Jose State University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies.