Linguistics: What’s in a Proper Name?

Part of nomenclature, the study of proper names is called onomastics, a field which touches on linguistics, history, anthropology, psychology, sociology, philology, and much more.

There are several branches to onomastics:

• Anthroponomastics is the study of personal names.
• Literary onomastics researches the names in works of literature and other fiction.
• Toponomastics is the study of place names.

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Exploring Later . . .

You may also want to explore the post on capitalization of proper names, articles, etc.

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Linguistics is . . .

. . . the systematic study of the nature, structure, and variation of language (of which grammar is a part), which describes how people use language. For the writer, how words are used (or spelled!) determines a character’s social and educational level and the time period for the story.

As I discover more examples, also-known-ases, and additions, I’ll update this post. If you have a suggestion, I would appreciate you contacting me. If you found this post on “The -Nyms That are Names” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.

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Proper Names, a.k.a. Anthroponymy
Part of Speech: Linguistics: Onomastics
Definition: A name used for an individual person, place, group, or organization, spelled with initial capital letters. POST CONTENTS: Aptronym Autonym Real Name Orthonym Linguistics / Anthropology (an anthropologic endonym) Taxonomic Binomial Caconym Isonym Trionym Clan Name Demonym Eponym Blend Clipping Compound and Attributive Possessive Simple Suffix-based Derivative Ethnonym Endonym Exonym Personal Name Given Name Mononym Matronym Patronym Teknonym Nickname Hypocorism Sobriquet Literary Onomastics Allonym Characternym Cryptonym Pseudonym Toponym Feature names, or Habitation names
Aptronym	Definition: A name that matches the occupation or character of its owner, often in a humorous or ironic way. A.k.a. anthroponymics, anthroponomastics, aptonym, charactonym, euonym, namephreak Source: Nordquist
Return to top or post contents	Usain “Lightning” Bolt Jamaican sprinter William Wordsworth poet Robert Coffin undertaker Sally Ride astronaut
Autonym	Definition: A real name. There are three types: Real Name Orthonym Linguistics / Anthropology (an anthropologic endonym) Taxonomic
Real (Personal) Name	Definition: A person’s own name, particularly an author who uses their real name when publishing a book. The opposite of pseudonym.
Return to top or post contents	J.K. Rowling Stephen King
Orthonym	Definition: The real name of a person who uses a pseudonym.
Return to top or post contents	Orthonym Pseudonym David [Robert] Jones David Bowie Samuel Langhorne Clemens Mark Twain Nora Roberts J.D. Robb
Linguistics / Anthropology	Definition: A name used by a group or category of people to refer to themselves or their language, as opposed to a name given to them by other groups.
Return to top or post contents	Americans know them as . . . They know themselves as . . . Germans Deutsche Germany Deutschland Eskimos Inuit Iñupiat French les Français A.k.a. endonym
Taxonomic	Definition: Biology and zoology classifies everything that is alive into different taxa.
Return to top or post contents	Taxonomic terms: Binomial Caconym Isonym Trionym There is a formatting post on “The Taxonomy of Life, Plants, Animals . . .” where you can find a great deal of information on the style and hierarchy in formatting botanical or scientific names . . . as well as their definitions. A.k.a. botanical name, scientific name
Binomial	Definition: A classification system using two names (in Latin) — Genus and species — was invented in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus. Greater detail is available on binomials in the post on taxonomy. A.k.a. dionym, species binomial
Return to top or post contents	Homo sapiens man ‎Oryctolagus cuniculus European rabbit Loxodonta africana African bush elephant Viola tricolor pansy
Caconym	Definition: A taxonomic term that is erroneous or considered to be badly chosen.
Return to top or post contents	calla lily Does not refer to any kind of lily
Isonym	Definition: A name of a taxon that is identical to another designation, and based on the same type, but published at a different time by the same or different authors. NOTE: The botanical code of nomenclature (St. Louis Code Art. 6.3. Note 1) states: “When the same name, based on the same type, has been published independently at different times by different authors, then only the earliest of these so-called ‘isonyms’ has nomenclatural status. The name is always to be cited from its original place of valid publication, and later “isonyms” may be disregarded.” You may want to explore the post “Taxonomy for lots more detail.
Trionym	Definition: A classification system using three names (in Latin) — Genus species subspecific epithet. Greater detail on the definition and formatting of subspecific epithet is available in the post on taxonomy. A.k.a. trinomial, trinomial nomencla­ture
Return to top or post contents	Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae black shag cormorant Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi Rothschild’s giraffe
Clan Name	Definition: A name for a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Members carry the same surname and claim descent from the same common ancestor. Clan membership however is not purely based on bloodlines as people often joined clans through marriage, adoption and fostering, and for political and territorial reasons. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word was introduced into English around 1425, as a label for the tribal nature of the Scottish Highlands.
Return to top or post contents	Irish Clans Scottish Clans Uí Fiachrach Dynasty Clann Néill, a.k.a., Clan Neill Clann Domhnaill Clan Mackinnon Clan Sweeney, Clan Lamont Clan MacLachlan Clan MacNeill
Demonym	Definition: Identifies residents or natives of a particular place, usually derived from the name of the place or that of an ethnic group. A.k.a. gentilic
Return to top or post contents	National Demonym . . . of Local Demonym . . . of Bolivian Bolivia Cochabambino the city of Cochabamba American USA Texan Okie state of Texas state of Oklahama French France Parisian the city of Paris British Brit Briton United Kingdom Liverpudlian city of Liverpool
Eponym	Definition: A person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named.
Return to top or post contents	There are 6 types: Blend Clipping Compound and Attributive Possessive Simple Suffix-based Derivative Source: Eponym
Blend Eponym	Definition: Two words are blended together to make a new one. Similar to portmanteau, a blend eponym incorporates a proper name while portmanteau does not.
Return to top or post contents	Blend Combines the Name gerrymander The name Elbridge Gerry and salamander, referring to an unfair practice of dividing voting districts in a city. Reagonomics The name Reagan and economics, referring to the policies of US President Ronald Reagan. Chunnel A rail tunnel beneath the English Channel opened, connecting France and Great Britain.
Clipping Eponym	Definition: A name that has been shortened or adapted.
Return to top or post contents	Clipping A Combination of . . . dunce A combination of the middle and last names of Johns Duns Scotus. He was a friar and a theologian who was considered to be a fool. gal The name of a unit of measurement of acceleration, shortened from the name of the scientist Galileo Galiei. gardenia Alexander Garden was a botanist. pasteurize Louise Pasteur discovered that bacteria are the cause of certain diseases.
Compound and Attributive Eponym	Definition: Mixes names and descriptions.
Return to top or post contents	Compound / Attributive Mixed From . . . loganberry A berry was named after a US lawyer, James Logan. Mieses opening A move in a game of chess that is named after Jacques Mieses, a grandmaster of the game. munchausen syndrome Named for Baron von Munchausen, an 18th century German officer who was known for embellishing the stories of his life and experiences. alfredo sauce Named for Alfredo di Lelio, an Italian cook. Dewey Decimal System Melvil Dewey
Possessive Eponym	Definition: Written in the possessive tense and attributes ownership to their namesake.
Return to top or post contents	Possessive Ownership Newton’s laws of physics Sir Isaac Newton Napoleonic Code Napoleon Bonaparte reorganized French law. Strait of Magellan Ferdinand Magellan Graves’s disease Sir Robert Graves St John’s wort Named for the saint’s day around when the plant blooms.
Simple Eponym	Definition: A proper noun is fully adopted and becomes the common name of something else.
Return to top or post contents	Simple Proper Noun Commonized atlas A book of map from the Greek figure Atlas who holds the world on his shoulders. watt A unit of electric power named after its developer, James Watt. google Named for the search engine, Google. Kleenex Named for a brand of tissues.
Suffix-based Derived Eponym	Definition: The name of the person is combined with a suffix to make a new word.
Return to top or post contents	Suffix-based Derivative Name of the Person mesmerism A German physician, Franz Mesmer. narcissism Named after the mythical character, Narcissus. Elizabethan Elizabeth I of England herculean Hercules
Ethnonym	Definition: A name applied to a given ethnic group, referring to a series of implied characteristics. There are two categories: Endonyms Exonyms An ethnonym evolves over time as its use becomes more or less socially acceptable or offensive.
Return to top or post contents	Gypsy ￫ Romani Barbarian ￫ Vandal Bushman ￫ San Negro ￫ colored ￫ African-American / black/Black
Endonym	Definition: The common, self-designated internal name used by a group of people for themselves, for a geographical place, or a language or dialect. The opposite of exonym, which is the name given to a group of people from the outside. A.k.a. anthropologic autonym
Return to top or post contents	Endonym (internal) Exonym (external) Deutschland Germany (by English speakers) Allemagne (by French speakers) فارسی Fārsi Persian Nederland the Netherlands
Exonym	Definition: The common external name for a geographical place, a group of people, an individual person, or a language or dialect used only outside the place, group, or linguistic community in question. The opposite of endonym, which is what a group of people may name themselves, etc. Exonyms exist not only for historical-geographical reasons but also in consideration of difficulties when pronouncing foreign words. A.k.a. xenonym
Return to top or post contents	Exonym (external) Endonym (internal) Germany (by English speakers) Allemagne (by French speakers) Deutschland Fārsi Persian فارسی the Netherlands Nederland
Personal Name	Definition: The set of names by which an individual is known and that can be recited as a word-group, with the understanding that, taken together, they all relate to that one individual. A.k.a. birth name, full name, legal name, polynym
Return to top or post contents	John Thomas Pierce Mary Smith Thomas Jefferson Brad Pitt
Given Name	Definition: Part of a person’s personal name, usually bestowed at or close to the time of birth, usually by the parents of the newborn, identifying that person and distinguishing that person from other members of their immediate family, who share a common surname. A.k.a. Christian name, first name, forename
Return to top or post contents	Peter Paul Denise Carol Margaret
Mononym	Definition: A person who is known and addressed by a single name. It may be an individual’s choice, the custom of the country, or all that has come down through history.
Return to top or post contents	Cicero Cher Madonna Beyonce Boudica Pink Erasmus Pocahontas Tecumseh Moctezuma Voltaire Michelangelo Titian Tintoretto Caravaggio Rembrandt Erté
Matronym	Definition: A name derived from the name of one’s mother or another female ancestor. A.k.a. metronym
Return to top or post contents	Matronym Mother’s Name Sigriðurson Sigriðurdóttir Sigriður Mariet Mary Ede Edith
Patronym	Definition: A name that is normally inherited through one’s father, and is typically shared with other members of one’s immediate family. You may want to explore the post “Cognomen versus Surname“. A.k.a. byname, family name, gentile name, last name, second name, surname
Return to top or post contents	Patronym Father’s Name Williamson William MacDonald Donald Fitzpatrick Patrick Hernández Hernando
Teknonym	Definition: Not generally used in English, it is the name for an adult derived from that of a child, especially that of the eldest child. In Arab culture: Ab or Ibn is used for men followed by the oldest son’s name Umm is used for women followed by the oldest daughter’s name A.k.a. paedonymic Source: Teknonym
Return to top or post contents	Adult’s Name Name of the Child Johnsdad John Father: Hasan will become known as Abu Zayn Mother: Umm Malik Zayn Father: Pak Sheila Mother: Mak Sheila Sheila Father: Baba Musa Mother: Mama Musa Musa
Nickname	Definition: Commonly used to express affection, it is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place, or thing. The recipient doesn’t always have a choice in their nickname; some are derogatory name calls. Hypocorism Sobriquet You may want to explore the post “Cognomen versus Surname“. A.k.a. affection name, call name, cognomen, moniker
Return to top or post contents	Anatomy of a Nickname
	Front of name (sometimes a nickname can come from the beginning of a given name): Chris Christopher Christina Ed Edward Edmond Edgar Edwin Iz Izzy Isaac Isaiah Isidore Isabel Isabella Joe Jo Joseph Josephine Joanna End of name: Drew Andrew Xander Alexander Enzo Renzo Lorenzo Beth Elizabeth Bel Bell Bella Belle Isabelle Isabella Middle of name: Liz Elizabeth Tori Victoria Del Della Adelaide Addition of diminutive (before the 17th century, most nicknames had the diminutive ending -in or -kin, where the ending was attached to the first syllable): Watkin Walter Hobkin Robert Thompkin Thomas Robin Robert Hank Henry Jack (Jan-kin) John Colin (Col-in) Nicolas Drop the final one or two letters and add either ie, ee, or y as a diminutive ending: Davie Davy David Charlie Charley Charles Mikey Michael Jimmie Jimmy Jamie James Marty Martin Using a person’s initials: A.C. Slater Albert Clifford Slater Dubya George W. Bush (a Texan pronunciation of the name of the letter ‘W’, President Bush’s middle initial) Based on a person’s last name: Tommo Bill Thompson Campo David Campese A combination of first and last name: A-Rod Alex Rodriguez Loose ties to a person’s name with an attached suffix, e.g., zza forms: “Gazza” Paul Gascoigne, English footballer “Hezza” Michael Hezeltine, politician “Prezza” John Prescott, politician The Oxford -er: “Beckers” David Beckham “Athers” Michael Atherton “Tollers” J.R.R. Tolkien Use of the middle name: Lee Mary Lee McKenzie Jonathan Robert Jonathan Demme Dakota Hannah Dakota Fanning Combinations of first and middle name or variations of a person’s first and middle name: Maz or Miz combines Mary and Liz Mary Elizabeth Linked to a person: “Ike” Dwight David Eisenhower “Bubba” Daniel Lamont Franks “Dusty” Miller “Nobby” Clark Linked to a person’s surname: Chalky White Bunny Warren Tug Wilson Spud Baker Linked to a person’s origins: Jock Scotsman Taffy Welshman Mick Irishman, alluding to the preponderance of Roman Catholicism in Ireland Paddy Irishman, alluding to St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland) Linked to a person’s physical characteristics: “Lofty” a short person “Curly” bald man) “Legs” tall person “Skinny” a thin person Reference to a geographical location: Paris ￫ City of Light Venice ￫ La Serenissima New Jersey ￫ Garden State
Hypocorism	Definition: A diminutive or augmentative form of a word or given name when used as a nickname or term of endearment. A nickname can be a shortened or modified variation on a person’s real name. A.k.a. calling name, hypocoristicon, pet name
Return to top or post contents	Hypocorism Given Name Alf, Alfie, Fred, Freddy Alfred Concha, Conchita, Conchi Concepción Gab, Gabe, Gabs, Gabby, Gabbie Gabriel, Gabrielle, Gabriella Rob, Bob, Bobby, Robbie, Robin, Bert, Hob, Nob Robert Slavka Stanislava Source: Hypocorism
Sobriquet	Definition: A nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is also used in word play.
Return to top or post contents	It usually is a familiar name, familiar enough such that it may be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation and may become more familiar than the original name. It may apply to the nickname for a specific person, group of people, or place. It is distinct from a pseudonym that is assumed as a disguise. A.k.a. sotbriquet, soubriquet
	Sobriquet Full Name Means Emiye Menelik Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia “Emiye” = mother Genghis Khan Temüjin Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Gandhi Big Apple New York City
Literary Onomastics	Definition: Names in works of literature and other fiction
Return to top or post contents	Source Allonym Real Name of the Person Czech poet Jan Neruda Pablo Neruda Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto
Characternym	Definition: The name of a fictional character that suggests a distinctive trait of that character. Literary onomastics is a sub-discipline which examines the use of proper names in literature; it often focuses on the names of characters in fiction.
Return to top or post contents	Mistress Quickly Sir Toby Belch Caspar Milquetoast Snow White Draco Malfoy Sirius Black Remus Lupin Daddy Warbucks Mr. Bumble Pussy Galore Squire Allworthy
Cryptonym	Definition: A private or secret name.
Return to top or post contents	Code Used for . . . tube alloys Nuclear weapons used during World War II Operation Overlord The Allied invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II atsá Navajo code-talk for transport plane
Pseudonym	Definition: A false or fictitious name, used only in certain contexts — to provide a more clear-cut separation between one’s private and professional lives, to showcase or enhance a particular persona, or to hide an individual’s real identity. A.k.a. alias
Return to top or post contents	There are 6 types: Anonymity Pseudonym Allonym Anonym Dummy Corporation, Corporate Shell Nom de guerre, Party Name, Cadre Name Pen, Ring, Stage Name Regnal Name User Name Source: Pseudonym
Allonym	Definition: The name of someone else famous used in place of the name of the true author of a work. Sometimes it’s done for parody. When hired by someone to do so, it’s known as ghostwriting. More generally, it can be any name assumed by someone. Occasionally, it may be a book claiming to be by a particular author, but is actually someone else. A.k.a., pseudonym, alias Source: Garg
Return to top or post contents	Real Person Allonym Frank W. Abagnale of Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake Robert F. Conrad Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote The Federalist, a.k.a. Federalist Papers Publius
Anonym	Definition: An anonymous person or publication. A.k.a. AKA, alias, ananym, nickname, pseudonym
Return to top or post contents	John Doe Jane Doe Q
Anonymity Pseudonym	Definition: A group of people who use one pseudonym for a certain purpose. A.k.a. collective pseudonym, house pseudonym, multiple-use pseudonym
Return to top or post contents	Anonymous Pseudonym Purpose Nicolas Bourbaki Adopted by mathematicians in the 1930s to stand for their collective efforts in the field of mathematics. David Agnew A name used used when the original freelance scriptwriter is unable to accommodate fundamental changes requested by the production staff. BBC rules require a lengthy process to change screen credit. Alan Smithee A name used by film directors when they lose creative control of a movie and no longer want to be associated with it. Alex Archer Authors of the Rogue Angel series. Carolyn Keene Authors of the Nancy Drew mystery stories and The Dana Girls mystery stories.
Dummy Corporation, Corporate Shell	Definition: An entity created to serve as a front or cover for one or more companies. It can have the appearance of being real, but lacks the capacity to function independently. Source: Dummy
Return to top or post contents	Shell Company Name of the Person Blackwater Worldwide Obtained over thirty dummy corporations in order to secure million dollar contracts from the United States government. Compass East Corporation Established by Walt Disney World Company to purchase land for Walt Disney World Resort to avoid inflated land sales. Japan Asia Airways A subsidiary company formed to avoid political issues. Air America A CIA-owned passenger and cargo airline used to secretly carry out American military operations in areas that would result in the United States violating treaty restraints.
Nom de guerre, Party Name, Cadre Name	Definition: A false name used to hide one’s identity.
Return to top or post contents	Pseudonym Real Name of the Person Blackbeard Edward Teach Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Banksy still unknown Carlos the Jackal Ilich Ramírez Sánchez Michael Yitzchak Shamir Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida “Grietje” Zelle MacLeod Dr Manhattan Jonathan Osterman Batman Bruce Wayne
Pen Name, Ring Name, Stage Name	Definition: Usually invented to be easily remembered and pronounced, artists sometimes use them to distinguish themselves from someone else in the same field with a similar name. Sometimes they’re used specifically to disguise identity. Women in the 19th century often wrote under male pseudonyms in order to be taken seriously, and sometimes established writers use a pseudonym in order to try writing in a different genre without being judged by their other work. A.k.a. nom de plume
Return to top or post contents	Pen, Ring, Stage Name Real Name of the Person Cary Grant Archibald Leach J.D. Robb Nora Roberts Currer Bell Charlotte Brontë The Rock Dwayne Johnson Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard Jessica Sterling Hugh C. Rae Robert Galbraith J.K. Rowling
Regnal Name	Definition: A newly ascended emperor, pope, or other monarch who chooses a new name. A.k.a. reign name
Return to top or post contents	Regnal Name Real Name of the Person Henry VI Alfred Frederick Arthur George Pope John Paul II Karol Józef Wojtyła
User Name	Definition: A name a person chooses to go by on various websites, social media accounts, or game sites. Also see Hacker Name. A.k.a. account name, login ID, nickname, user ID, username
Return to top or post contents	User Name Real Name of the Person kddidit Kathy Davie pink_ponies_4ever@email.com Jane Doe
Hacker Name	Definition: While a hacker is “any skilled computer expert that uses their technical knowledge to overcome a problem”, popular culture views a hacker as someone who breaks into the computer systems of others. Hackers are divided into white-hat and black-hat, good and bad.
Return to top or post contents	User Name Real Name of the Person Tailored Access Operations (TAO) NSA elite hacking unit c0mrade Jonathan James ShadowCrew Albert Gonzalez
Toponym	Definition: A word or words used in naming a place to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality such as a town, river, or mountain based on historical, geographical information, and the linguistic evolution and the motive behind naming the place.
Return to top or post contents	Toponyms may be: Generic – a class of names such as river, mountain, town, etc. Specific – Restricts or modifies the meaning of the place-name A combination of the two Toponyms are divided into two broad categories and are either: Feature names, or Habitation names Taxonomic. Source: Toponomy
Feature Name	Definition: Refers to natural or physical features of the landscape and are subdivided into hydronyms (water features), oronyms (relief features), and places of natural vegetation growth (meadows, glades, groves).
Return to top or post contents	Additional features may be descriptive, associative, commendatory (praising).
	Hydronym Natural Vegetation Oronym Lakeland, Florida Chicago (Smelly Onions in the language of the first inhabitants) Council Bluffs Mill River Springfield Rocky Mountains Lake Superior Pleasant Valley Lake Michigan Greenland Lake Champlain
Habitation Name	Definition: Denotes a locality that is peopled or inhabited, such as a homestead, village, or town, and usually dates from the inception of the locality.
	Incident Names Battle Creek Bloody Ridge Cut and Shoot Point No Point, Washington Man-Eater Canyon, Wyoming, where a reputed murderer and cannibal was finally arrested. Hatchet Lake, Alaska, was so-called because a surveyor cut his knee on a hatchet there in 1954. Possessive Names Castro Valley Pittsburgh Philippines (Philip II of Spain) Commemorative Commemorating someone well-known or in honor of a famous person St Louis San Jacinto Houston Seattle (named after Chief Seattle) Austin Pennsylvania (Penn’s Woods) Illinois (after the Illini Indians) Shift Names Relocated names or names from settler’s homeland Athens (Greece and Texas) Palestine (Middle East and Texas) New Mexico (settlers from Mexico) New England (settlers from England) Folk Etymology A false meaning is extracted from a name based on its structure or sounds Hellespont (explained by Greek poets as being named after Helle). Manufactured Made up names Tesnus (Sunset spelled backwards) Reklaw (Walker spelled backwards) Iraan (Ira and Ann name the town after each other) Mistaken Historic errors in identification or translation West Indies (not west of the Indies and not the Indies)

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Linguistics posts by exploring its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for What’s in a Name?

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

Coates, Richard. “Onomastics.” The Cambridge History of the English Language, Volume IV, ed. by Richard M. Hogg et al. Cambridge University Press, 1999.

“Dummy Corporation.” Wikipedia. 12 October 2019. Web. 4 November 2019. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_corporation>.

“Eponym.” Literary Terms.net. n.d. Web. 3 Nov 2019. <https://literaryterms.net/eponym/>.

Garg, Anu. “Allonym.” Wordsmith.org. n.d. Web. 8 Mar 2023. <https://wordsmith.org/words/allonym.html>.

“Hypocorism: English Names.” Wikipedia. 3 November 2019. Web. 5 November 2019. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocorism#English>.

Lovejoy, Bess. “14 of the Most Depressing Place Names in North America.” Mental Floss. 11 May 2015. Web. 5 November 2019. <http://mentalfloss.com/article/63728/14-most-depressing-place-names-north-america&gr;. A fun article to read.

McKie, David. What’s in a Surname?: A Journey from Abercrombie to Zwicker UK: Random House, 2013.

Nordquist, Richard. “Aptronym Names.” ThoughtCo. 24 July 2019. Web. 3 November 2019. <https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-aptronym-names-1689129>.

⸻. “Onomastics Explained.” ThoughtCo. 3 July 2019. Web. 2 November 2019. <https://www.thoughtco.com/onomastics-names-term-1691450>.

“Oxford ‘-er’.” Wikipedia. 16 October 2019. Web. 7 November 2019. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_%22-er%22>.

Oxford Dictionaries: allonym; anonym

“Pseudonym.” Literary Terms.net. n.d. Web. 4 November 2019. <https://literaryterms.net/pseudonym/>.

Stewart, George. “10 types of Toponyms.” Murrieta Valley Unified School District. n.d. Web. 5 November 2019. <https://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/cms/lib5/CA01000508/Centricity/Domain/1814/toponym%20assignment2012.pdf>.

“Teknonym.” Wikishia. n.d. Web. n.d. <https://en.wikishia.net/view/Teknonym>.

“Toponymy.” Encyclopedia Britannica. n.d. Web. 2 November 2019. <https://www.britannica.com/science/toponymy>

Academic journals in the field of onomastics include the Journal of the English Place-Name Society (U.K.) and Names: A Journal of Onomastics, published by the American Name Society.

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Hello, My Name is Sticker by Eviatar Bach is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Revised as of 22 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie