Onomastics is the study of names and naming practices, a field of linguistic study. The American Name Society was founded in 1951 to promote this field in the United States and abroad. Its goal is to "find out what really is in a name, and to investigate cultural insights, settlement history and linguistic characteristics revealed in names."

The society publishes NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics, a quarterly journal; the ANS Bulletin; and the Ehrensperger Report, an annual overview of member activities in onomastics. The society also offers an online discussion group, ANS-L.

For more information, visit the ANS web site.