Names of the Year 2020

What do “COVID-19” and “Kamala” have in common? It sounds like it may be the start of a bad joke, but actually, they are the names chosen to represent a year that turned out to be a bad joke.

They were chosen as joint winners of the Name of the Year for 2020 by the American Name Society.

Since 2004, the American Name Society has voted for the Name of the Year. An overall winner is chosen for Name of the Year along with winners in four categories; Personal, Place, Trade, and Fictional Names. Anyone can nominate a name by submitting it to the coordinator of the Name of the Year along with a reason why it should be considered. Nominations are judged based on their linguistic innovation, potential to influence language use, and ability to capture national attention. This year’s vote took place during the ANS annual meeting held virtually on January 24, 2021.

For a year defined by a pandemic, politics, and protests, it’s not surprising that the majority of names chosen for the 2020 Names of the Year came from those categories.

Joint winners of Name of the Year 2020

“COVID-19” is an illness caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It began spreading around the world before the year began and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

“Kamala” In August of 2020 Kamala Harris became the running mate of presidential candidate Joe Biden. Their win in November made Kamala the first name of the first woman to hold the Vice President's office. She is also the first Black American and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President. The name Kamala, meaning lotus flower, pays tribute to her South Asian heritage.

Personal Name of the Year 2020

“George Floyd” was a Black man whose murder by white police officers was witnessed and recorded by bystanders who were not allowed to intervene as one of the officers knelt on his neck causing death by “law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression." His death spurred worldwide protests regarding police brutality and systemic racism.

Place Name of the Year 2020: Wuhan, China (site of the first ID of COVID-19 virus)

Artistic Name of the Year 2020: Schitt’s Creek (award-winning Canadian sitcom)

Trade Name of the Year 2020: Zoom (teleconferencing platform)

eName of the Year 2020: QAnon (discredited far-right conspiracy theory)

Miscellaneous Name of the Year 2020: COVID-19 (a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2)

If you are interested in names you should visit the American Name Society website. They were founded in 1951 to promote onomastics; the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names. They have useful articles, journals, and resource links.

cover photo by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan