User:Nicole Sharp/anthroponomastics

Please feel free to contribute to this draft. Nicole Sharp (discuss • contribs) 14:54, 7 June 2016 (UTC)

Anthroponomastics (also known as anthroponymy or anthroponymic anthropology) is the science and study of human names, part of the larger ethnolinguistic field of onomastics (the study of names in general). Anthroponomastics is important to historical, cultural, sociological, and psychological researchers, as well as for genealogists and new parents. An anthroponym is a name used for human beings.

Usage of anthroponyms
In some cultures, persons may have more than one anthroponym they are known by. Often, one has what is called a legal name, which is a name that is recognized by a government, which may or may not be what they are known as in everyday life (e.g. nicknames, stage names, pen names, etc.). What can or cannot be a legal name also varies by jurisdiction, so a person can have more than one legal name as well.

Pseudonymy
A pseudonym is a false name that someone may adopt for various reasons. Historically, pseudonyms have often been used to protect an author's identity from publishing controversial material. However, some authors also adopt pseudonyms to separate their authorship of different books (e.g. Michael Crichton versus John Lange), so that the books are shelved separately in stores (when sorted alphabetically by author). Using a pseudonym for a first publication is also an occassional practice, to avoid embarrassment in case their first work becomes a flop.

Some famous pseudonyms:

Systems of anthroponymic inheritance
The two most common systems of how anthroponyms are inherited between generations is that of patrilinearity and matrilinearity, i.e. having inherited family names passed along from paternal versus maternal ancestors. See the anthroponomastics for various individual languages below for how these systems work in different cultures.

Modern English
Most human names in Modern English are divided into a forename, an optional middle name or names, and a surname. This type of naming system is common in other Germanic-speaking cultures as well. The surname for many English-speakers is a patrilineal family name, i.e. the inherited surname of their paternal ancestors.

Unusual anthroponyms in Modern English

 * bell hooks
 * (Queen) Victoria

Psychology and sociology of anthroponyms
A person's name can have a significant effect both on how they perceive themselves, and how society views them. Most notably is that of a person's gender identity, since many names are gendered.