Number of companies rebranding: Interview with William Lozito of Strategic Name Development.
Among 150 fictitious companies: “Spoof brand names snapped up for real” BBC News, November 17, 2003.
Names starting with B, C and S: “A Name’s Sake,” Adweek, April 24, 2006.
Holding company Axa: Xignux, Interbrand press release.
Moratorium on drug names starting with X or Z: United States Adopted Names Council, based at the American Medical Association.
Adobe Systems is fighting the use of “photoshop”: Adobe: Permissions and Trademark Guidelines.
Pronunciation of Google in Mandarin: Google: China Daily.
Church of Scientology trademarks: Church of Scientology website.
Churches dropping “baptist” from their names: “Afraid of scaring away potential members, Baptist churches cloak identity,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jan. 16, 1999.
Southern Baptist Convention has considered dropping “Southern” eight times: Southern Baptist Convention, Public Relations Office.
Columbus Children’s Hospital Emergency Department: Columbus Children’s Hospital Press Release, June 6, 2006.
Margaret Mitchell and Tote the Weary Load: Margaret Mitchell, Reporter, edited by Patrick Allen, 2000.
$100 million gift from University of North Dakota alum: “Puck Politics,” Salon.com, March 8, 2001.
Indiana elementary school name change: Warren G. Harding Elementary School, Hammond, Ind.
Exxon Valdez becomes the SeaRiver Mediterranean: National Marine Fisheries Service newsclip, October 12, 2002.
Clark Tx becomes Dish: DISH Network press office.
Agra, Oklahoma becomes Viagra: KTST Radio Station.
Among the 50 million .com internet addresses: Verisign, Dennis Forbes, the longest domain name URL.
Thai word for Bangkok: Bucknell University, Linguistics Department; University of Pittsburg Asian Studies Center.
Llanfynydd name change: Carmarthenshire County Council, Wales, Press Office.
Supercalafajilisticespeealadojus: Album cover, Poster from 1951.
Bill Wyman gets sued: “Legal Row Over Bill Wyman’s Name,” BBC News, 2002.
American Trial Lawyers Association changes name: American Association for Justice, Press Office.
Idaho gubernatorial candidate becomes “Pro-Life”: Idaho Press, April, 2, 2006.
U.S. Senate candidate becomes “None of the Above”: “Candidate Wants to be ‘None of the Above,'” MSNBC.com, July 21, 2006.
Russian Governor becomes Harry Potter: “Russian Harry Potter Stands for Office,” BBC News, March 3, 2003.
North Dakota’s wintry image: North Dakota Chamber of Commerce.
South Central L.A.: Los Angeles Councilmember Bernard Park’s office.
New York’s laws named after crime victims: New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Brazil recognizes only 5 racial categories:
The Economist , 2006.
Siemens trademarks Zyklon:
United States Trademark Office , 2002.
Auschwitz gets renamed: World Heritage Centre, 2006.
Prince Charles may change his name:
BBC News , 2005.
Parma Ham: European Union, 2003. An overview of the case can be found here.
A new name for kangaroo meat: October 2006 newsletter of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia.
McDonald’s offered rappers $5 for Big Mac raps: “McDonald’s Buying Way into Hip-Hop Song Lyrics,” Marc Graser, Advertising Age, March 28, 2005.
Tupac on Rolling Stone Rolling Stone coversof April 4, 1996; Oct. 31, 1996; Aug. 7, 1997; Jan 22, 1998; and Aug. 24, 2006.
“Baby Got Backpack”: “
Freedom Rock,” J. Freedom du Lac, Washington Post, September 6, 2006.
Sonny Sandoval and Neveah: Sonny Sandoval appearance on Cribs MTV, 2000
Popularity of name: Social Security Office, 2006
Love Story and the name Jennifer: Social Security Office, 1970-1984
Sex and the City and the name Aidan: Social Security Office, 2000-2006.
Malaysia outlaws certain names:
BBC News, 2006.
3 Americans named ESPN:
ESPN, 2004.
Muhammed Ali:
“Muhammed Ali Sells Rights to Name”mBBC News, April 11, 2006; Forbes, April 12, 2006.
Iran banned foreign words: “So English Is Taking Over the Globe. So What,” New York Times, August 6, 2006.
German citizen Khaled el-Masri: ACLU, Press Release, May 12, 2006.
Global War on Terror name changes: Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism, Secretary Rumsfeld’s U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War,” Eric Schmitt and Tom Shanker, New York Times, July 26, 2005; Chief Naval Officer’s Remarks on Navy’s 231st Birthday, October 12, 2006; President Bush’s 2006 State of the Union Address, January 31, 2006; Secretary Rumsfeld’s remarks at the 107th Convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars, August 28, 2006.
Congress debates “backronym” bills: “The Fine Art of Legislation Appellation,” Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2006; CAN-SPAM and ENRON from the Library of Congress.
Rep. Don Young names SAFETEA-LU for his wife: “The Fine Art of Legislation Appellation,” Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2006.
Sen. John Sununu quote: “The Fine Art of Legislation Appellation,” Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2006.
