American Name Society

The American Name Society (ANS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad. The organization investigates cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names.

The ANS runs an annual conference for name scholars and enthusiasts, and it is the largest scholarly society dedicated to "the investigation of names and how they develop". Since 1952, the ANS has produced the journal ''Names''. Since its very first issue in 1952, this scientific quarterly has continually published original articles, notes, and book reviews that investigate the derivation, function, and impact of names and naming in North America and around the world. The American Dialect Society was the parent organization of ANS. It has also been associated with the Modern Language Association. Provided by Wikipedia