on·o·mas·tics (ŏn′ə-măs′ tĭks) singular noun [French onomastique, from Greek onomastikos, to name, from onoma, name]: the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names.
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Conference Information

The ANS 2026 Annual Conference will be held ONLINE, February 21, 2026, and not in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America. [read more]

About the ANS

The American Name Society was founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad. It is a non-profit organization that seeks to find out what really is in a name, and to investigate cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names. [read more]

Become a Member

Focusing on the understanding of names in all forms, the Society provides members with several vehicles for the discussion and publication of onomastic theory, views and concepts: our annual meeting, regional meetings, and NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics. [read more]

Recent News

Call for Papers: Names That Reveal; Names That Conceal: Onomastic Sleight of Hand in Global Literature (MLA 2027)

The American Name Society Call for Papers for the ANS virtual panel at the Modern Language Association (MLA) Convention #mla27… read more

“No Kings” is the ANS Name of the Year for 2025

“No Kings” was chosen as the winner of the Name of the Year for 2025 by the American Name Society… read more

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